Examples on Combinations in 12MxI

Solutions

DO the restrictions first!

1.

A group of 5 prefects is to be selected from a group of 20 students.

a)

How may different groups of prefects can be selected?

Choosing 5 people from 20 can be done in 20C5 = 15 504 ways.

b)

In how many ways can the 5 prefects be selected if Lisa (one of the 20 students),
i)
declines nomination?
5 people have to be selected from 19 possible people.
This can be done in 19C5 = 11 628 ways.
ii)

c)

is selected for prefect?

4 people have to be selected from 19 possible people.
This can be done in 19C4 = 3 876 ways.

Sandy and Grace refuse to serve together as prefects. In how many different ways
can the prefects be selected, ensuring that their wishes are met?
There are 2 ways to do this problem.
Approach 1:
Here we could have S prefect and G not or vice versa or both of them
are not prefects. So S prefect and G not means that 4 people need to
be selected from 18 people i.e. 18C4 = 3 060 ways. Both of them not
prefects means that 5 people have to be selected from 18 people
i.e. 18C5 = 8 568 ways. So the number of ways their wishes could be met
is 2 18C4 + 18C5 = 14 688.
Approach 2:
We consider the indirect approach i.e. if both of them were prefects.
This could be done in 18C3 = 816 ways, as 3 people would have to be
selected from 18 people. The total number of selections possible from
a) is 15 504 ways. So the number of ways their wishes could be met is in
15 504 816 = 14 688 ways.

d)

If the group of 20 students is composed of 12 girls and 8 boys, in how many

different ways can 3 girls and 2 boys be selected as prefects if
i)
there are no other restrictions?
The 3 girls from 12 possible girls can be selected in 12C3 = 220
ways, and the 2 boys can be selected in 8C2 = 28 ways. So the
total number of ways of selecting the 5 prefects can be done in
220 28 = 6 160 ways.
ii)

Sue-Maye and Sarah get really fussy and refuse to be prefects together?
The 2 boys can be selected in 8C2 = 28 ways and the girls can be
selected (using Approach 2 above) in 12C3 10C1 = 210 ways. So
the total number of ways of selecting the prefects is
28 210 = 5 880 ways.

iii)

e)

2.

3.

Anita and Jessica become friends again and refuse to be prefects unless they
are both selected?
The 2 boys can be selected in 8C2 = 28 ways and both girls can
be selected in 10C1 = 10 ways, as 1 girl has to be chosen from 10
other possible girls.
So the number of ways the prefects can be selected is
28 10 = 280.
If they are both not selected then the 3 girls necessary can be
selected in 10C3 = 120 ways so giving 28 120 = 3360 ways.
A total of 3360 + 280 = 3640 ways.

If the group of 20 students is composed of 12 girls and 8 boys, in how many

different ways can 5 prefects be chosen to include at least 2 girls?
At least 2 girls means 2 girls, 3 boys OR 3 girls, 2 boys OR 4 girls, 1 boy
OR 5 girls, 0 boys.
The indirect path would mean calculating 0 girls, 5 boys OR 1 girl, 4
boys.
From a) the total number of ways of picking 5 prefects is 20C5 = 15 504.
Now 0 girls, 1 boy can be done in 12C0 8C5 = 56 ways and 1 girl, 4
boys can be done in 12C1 8C4 = 840 ways.
So getting at least 2 girls can be done in
20C [12C 8C + 12C 8C ] = 14 608 ways
5
0
5
1
4

15 students are to be split equally between 3 classes. How many ways can this be done if the
classes are
a)
distinct?
(eg Art, PE and Music)
Pick the first class in 15C5 = 3003 ways, then the next class can be
chosen in 10C5 = 252 ways. So the remaining 5 go to the third class and
the total ways of splitting the students can be done in
15C 10C = 756 756 ways.
5
5
b)

identical?
(eg 3 Peer Support groups or 3 basketball teams)
Same as above, but with the classes being identical it means that the
above method has put an order into the splitting that shouldnt be
there. So as there are 3 classes, we have over counted by a factor of
3!
i.e. each time we get a group of 3 it has already been counted
before. So the number of ways of splitting the students into 3 identical
classes/groups is 15C5 10C5 3! = 126 126.

a)

A group of 21 students play a game that needs 10 students each side and a referee.
In how many ways can they arrange the teams?
Choose the referee first.
This can be done in 21C1 = 21 ways.
Now choose a team of 10 from the remaining 20, this can be done in
20C
10 = 184 756 ways, but after choosing the 10 the remaining 10 will be
the opposing team. BUT, this team has also been included in the
184 756 ways.
So there are 21 20 C10 = 92 378 ways to choose the two teams of 10, and
so there are
game.

21

C1

1
2

20 C10 = 21 92 378 =1939 938 ways to arrange the

Examples on Combinations continued Solutions

b)

4.

In how many ways can this be done, if Tina insists on being the referee?
If Tina is the referee then the remaining 20 need to be divided into two
equal groups of 10.
So there are 21 20 C10 = 92 378 ways to choose the two teams of 10.

Cindy, Jennifer, Marie, Susie, Shimster, Meggie, Emily and Tina are to be divided into two
groups for touch footy.
a)
What is the probability that there will be 4 in each group?
First how many ways can the 8 people be divided up?
Two groups of 1 and 7 OR 2 and 6 OR 3 and 5 OR 4 and 4.
Groups of 1 and 7 are not identical and can be divided in 8C1 ways,
since as once one person is selected the remainder form a group of 7.
Similarly groups of 2 and 6 can be divided in 8C2 ways, and groups of 3
and 5 can be divided in 8C3 ways.
However, when dividing into groups of 4, the remaining 4 would have
already been counted the first time round, so there are
1
8 C4 = 35 ways to divide into two equal groups of 4.
2
So the probability of two equal groups is
b)

5.

1 8
2
8

C4

C1 + 8 C2 + C3 +

1 8
2

C4

35
.
127

What is the probability that Cindy, Jennifer and Marie are in one group of four?
Cindy, Jennifer and Marie need one more person to make up their
5 1
team. This can be done in 5C1 = 5 ways. So the probability is
= .
35 7

Use an algebraic (or combinatorial) definition of nCr to find n if nC6 = nC4 .

a)

Algebraic definition of n Cr :
i.

Cr = n Cn-r

n C6 = n C4 4 = n - 6
n =10

OR
ii.

Cr =

n!
( n - r )!r!

n C6 = n C4

n!
n!
=
6!( n - 6 )! 4!( n - 4 )!

( n - 4 )!

6!
4!

( n - 6 )!
( n - 4)( n - 5)( n - 6)! = 30

( n - 6 )!

( n - 4 ) ( n - 5 ) = 30
n2 - 9n+ 20 = 30
n2 - 9n -10 = 0

( n -10 ) ( n+1) = 0
n =10

(Qn > 0)

b)

Combinatorial definition of n Cr :
n

Cr is the number of ways of choosing r people from a group of n

people. So choosing 4 from a group has to be the same as choosing 6

from the same group can only be if after 4 people are taken 6 people
are left i.e. n = 10.
6.

10 people are to sit around two circular tables that can accommodate 5 people.
How many ways can this be done if:
a)
there are no restrictions?
First, choose 5 people to sit around the first table in 10C5 ways and then
sit them down in 4! ways.
Second, the remaining 5 people can sit around their table in 4! ways.
So there are 10C5 4! 4! = 145 152 ways.
N.B. If the tables are indistinguishable then there are
10C 4! 4! 2! = 72 576 ways.
5
b)

7.

Rebecca and Stephanie decide to sit on one table and Cathy and Simone sit on the
other table?
R and Ss table needs 3 more people, this can be done in 6C3 ways,
then they can be arranged around the table in 4! ways.
The remaining people will sit on C and Ss table, which can then be
arranged in 4! ways. So there are 6C3 4! 4! = 11 520 ways in total.

Yiling, Jessica, Leanne and Lillian decide to play poker.

a)
How many ways can Yiling get 4 of a kind?
Four of a kind (FK):
There are 13C1 ways for Jennifer to pick the 4 cards all the same.
Then she must pick a 5th card from the remaining 48 cards.
So there are 13C1 48C1 = 624 different ways to have FK.
b)

How many ways can Jessica get a full house?

Full House (FH):
Consider the cases JJ 333 or 33 JJJ, so there would be 13C2 ways of
Shelly choosing the different ranks of the two cards, but for any two
cards there are two different FH (as seen above), so there are 13C1 2
ways of doing this.
For the pair there would be 4C2 ways of Jessica picking the pair from
the 4 possible cards and similarly 4C3 of picking the triplet from the 4
possible cards.
So there are 13C1 2 4C2 4C3 = 3744 different ways to have FH.

c)

How many ways can Leanne get 3 of a kind?

Three of a kind (TK):
There are 13C1 ways of Leanne picking the rank of the triplet, then 4C3
ways of picking 3 of the same card from the 4 possible.
Then she has to pick two ranks from a possible 12 (to avoid FH and FK)
and each of these have 4 possible suits i.e. 12C2 42.
So 13C1 4C3 12C2 42 = 54 912 different ways to have TK.

Examples on Combinations continued Solutions

d)

How many ways can Lillian get 2 pair?

Two pair (TP):
There are 13C2 ways for Lillian to pick the ranks of the two pairs and
then (4C2)2 to pick each pair from the possible 4.
She has to then pick the remaining card, which can be done in 44C1
ways as she has to exclude having the 5th card being one of the two
pair.
So a total number of 13C2 (4C2)2 44C1 = 123 552 ways of getting a TP.