PERMUTATIONS AND

COMBINATIONS
MATHS TUTORIALS 
BY MWENDALUBI CHIHOYLONGA
TOPIC OUTLINE

• PERMUTATION INTRODUCTION
• PROPERTIES OF PERMUTATION
• FACTORIAL
• IMPORTANT RULES OF PERMUTATION
• EXAMPLES
• CIRCULAR PERMUTATION
• EXAMPLES
• INTRODUCTION TO COMBINATION
• PROPERTIES OF COMBINATION
• EXAMPLES
• EXAM TYPE OF QUESTIONS
PERMUTATION INTRODUCTION

• In mathematics, a permutation of a set is, loosely speaking, an

arrangement of its members into sequence or linear order, or if
the set is already ordered, a rearrangement of its elements.
• The word “permutation” also refers to the act or process of
changing the linear order of an ordered set.
PROPERTIES OF PERMUTATION

•1.  n P n = n (n – 1) (n – 2) ….1 = n!
2. n P 0 = = 1
3. n P 1 = n
4. n P n – 1 = n!
5. n P r = nn – 1 Pr – 1 = n (n – 1)n – 2 Pr – 2
6. n–1 P r + rn – 1 P r – 1 = n P r
7. = n – r + 1
FACTORIAL

• For any natural number n, we define factorial as:

• n = n(n – 1) (n – 2) = n P r
• Factorial is denoted by an exclamation !
• i.e. n! = n(n – 1) (n – 2)
• 5! = 5(5 - 1) (5 – 2) (5 – 3)
• 5! = 120
• Alternatively;
• 5! = 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 120
 IMPORTANT RULES OF PERMUTATION
1. The number of permutations of n different things taken r at a time, allowing repetitions is nr

2. The number of permutations of n different things taken all at a time is n P r

3. The number of permutations of n things taken all at a time, in which p are alike of one kind, q are alike
of second kind and r are alike of the third kind and the rest are different then n!/(p! q! r!)

4. The number of permutations of n things of which P1, are alike of one kind P2 are alike of second kind, P3
are alike of third kind… Pr are alike of the r kind such that

P1 + P2 + P3 + … Pr = n is n!/ P1! P2! P3 !... Pr!

5. Number of permutations of n different things taken r at a time, when a particular thing is to be included
in each arrangement is rn – 1 Pr – 1 . When a particular thing is excluded, then number of arrangements = n – 1 P r
6. Number of permutations of n different things taken all at a time, when m specified things always come together is
m! (n – m + 1)!
EXAMPLE 1

1. A lock has a 5 digit code. Each digit is chosen from 0-9, and a
digit can be repeated. How many different codes can you have?
Solution:
nr
n = 10, r = 5
105= 100,000 codes
EXAMPLE 2

•1.  How many ways can you order 3 out of 16 different pool balls?
Solution:
n = 16, r = 3

= 3,360 ways
EXAMPLE 3

1. How many 6 digit telephone numbers can be formed if each

number starts with 3, 5 and no digit appears more than once?
Solution:
n
Pr
n = 8, r = 4
35____
8
P4
= 1,680 digits
EXAMPLE 4

1. Arrangements containing 4 different letters from the word

“MATHEMATICS” are to be made
a) The number of 4 letter arrangements if there are no restrictions
Solution:
n
Pr
n = 11, r = 4
11
P4
= 7,920 arrangements
CONTINUATION OF EXAMPLE 4

b.) The numbers of 4 letter arrangements which start with letter H

and with letter S.
Solution:
n
Pr
H__S
n = 6, r = 2
6
P2
= 30 arrangements
CIRCULAR PERMUTATION

• In
  a circular permutation, firstly we fix the position of one of the
objects and then arrange the other objects in all possible ways.
i. Number of circular permutations at a time is (n – 1)! If clockwise and
anticlockwise orders are all different.
ii. Number of circular permutations of n different things taken all at a
time, when clockwise or anticlockwise order is not different (n – 1)!
iii. Number of circular permutations of n different things taken r at a
time, when clockwise or anticlockwise orders are different is
iv. If we mark numbers 1 to n on chairs in a round table, then n persons
sitting around table is n!
EXAMPLE 5

1. In how many different ways can 5 girls and 5 boys form a circle
such that the boys and the girls alternate?
Solution:
5! X 4!
= 2,880 ways
EXAMPLE 6

1. Find out the number of ways in which 6 rings of different types

can be worn on 3 fingers.
Solution:
nr
n = 3, r = 6
36
= 729 ways
INTRODUCTION TO COMBINATION

• Each
  of the different groups or selections
Which can be made by some or all of a
Number of given things without reference to
The things in each group is called
Combination.

n Cr
PROPERTITIES OF COMBINATION

•1.  n C 0 = n C n = 1
2. n C 1 = n
3. If n C r = n C p then either; r = p or r + p = n
4. n C r =
5. n C 0 + n C 1 + n C 2 + … + n C n = 2n
6. n C 0 + n C 2 + n C 4 + … = n C 1 + n C 3 + … = 2n-1
7. n C r = nn-1 /r Cr-1 = n-2 Cr-2
8. 2n+1 C 0 + 2n+1 C 1 + 2n+1 C 2 + … 2n+1 C n = 22n
9. n C n + n+1 C n + n+2 C n + … + 2n-1 C n = 2n C n+1
EXAMPLE 7

1. Out of 7 consonants and 4 vowels, how many words of 3

consonants and 2 vowels be formed?
Solution:
7
C 3 x4C 2
35 x 6
= 210 words
EXAMPLE 8

1. From a group of 7 men and 6 woman, 5 persons are to be

selected to form a committee so that at least 3 men are there in
the committee. In how many ways can this be done?
Solution:
(7 C 3 x 6 C 2 ) + (7 C 4 x 6 C 1 ) +(7 C 5 x 6 C 0 )
= 525 + 210 + 21
= 756 ways
EXAM TYPE OF QUESTIONS

1. From a class of 25 students ,10 are to be chosen for an excursion party. There are 3 students
who decide that either all of them will join or none of them will join . In how many ways can
the excursion party be chosen?
2. In how many ways can the letters of the word ASSASSINATION be arranged so that all the S’s
are together?
3. How many 3-digit even numbers can be formed from the digits 1,2,3,4,5,6 if the digits can be
repeated?
4. How many 4- digit numbers are there with no digit repeated?
5. How many words , with or without meaning can be made from the letters of the word
MONDAY , assuming that no letter is repeated ,if
a) 4 letters are used at a time ,
b) All letters are used at a time ,
c) All letters are used but first letter is a vowel?
1. It is required to seat 5 men and 4 women in a row so that the women occupy the even
places . How many such arrangements are possible?
THANK YOU!