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Combinations & Permutations
Combinations & Permutations
Permutations
Essentials: Permutations & Combinations
(So that’s how we determine the number of possible samples!)
Example: 8! = 8 * 7 *6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 *1 = 40,320
Permutations
A Permutation is an arrangement of n objects
in a specific order using r objects at a time.
n!
n Pr
(n r )!
Permutations: Examples
Example: A news program n!
has time to present 2 of four n Pr
available news stories. How (n r )!
many ways can the evening
4!
n P2
news be set up?
(4 2)!
4 * 3 * 2 *1
4 P2
Checking the process:
If we let A, B, C, D represent the four
shows, then the possible show
2 *1
orders would be:
AB BA CA DA 24
4 P2 12
AC BC CB DB
AD BD CD DC
2
Twelve (12) possible presentations
where order matters.
Combinations
A combination is the selection of r objects
from n objects without regard to order.
n!
n Cr
(n r )! r!
Combinations: Examples
Example: A news program has time n!
to present 2 of four available news n Cr
(n r )! r!
stories. How many different sets
of stories can be presented on 4!
the evening news? n C2
(4 2)!2!
Checking the process:
If we let A, B, C, D represent the four
4 * 3 * 2 *1
n C2
shows, then the possible show orders
would be:
AB BA CA DA 2 *1* 2 *1
AC BC CB DB
AD BD CD DC
However, AB and BA represent the 24
n C2 6
presentation of the same two stories. If
order does not matter, one of these two
may be deleted. Repeating the process
4
results in: AB, AC, AD, BC, BD, CD,