Permutation and combination

In real life situations we come across various problems of selections and arrangements. For example
selection of Indian cricket team, and then deciding their batting order. Similarly formation of a group
of 5-6 members out of 40 students in a class for college tech festival and deciding their order of
arrangement for their stage performance etc . All these problems are very interesting and comes under
the topic permutation and combinations.

Permutation:

Permutation is defined as arrangement of object in an ordered manner.

For example, let there are 3 chairs for 3 persons A, B and C then sitting arrangement can be made in
3! Ways like

ABC

ACB

BAC

BCA

CAB

CBA

Permutation is represented by npr here npr is total number of ways in which r things at a time can be
selected and arranged at a time from among n things.
n
pr= n!/ (n – r) !

For example, if we have to make a sitting arrange for 5 students and it only three chairs are available,
then this can be done in 5p3 i.e.
5
p3= 5! / (5-3)! = 60 ways

Theory

1. Factorial notion n!

n!= n(n-1)(n-2)(n-3)…………………. 3.2.1

2. 0! = 1
3. 1!=1
4. (n -1)! = (n-1) (n-2) (n-3)……………………3.2.1
5. n! = n. (n-1)!
6. only the factorial of natural numbers are defined.
n! is defined for only n > 0
n! is not defined for n< 0

Combination:

Combination is defined as selection of objects in which order does not matter.

For example let a team of 2 players is to be formed out of 3 players A, B and C. Then this can be done
in three ways AB, BC and CA. Here order of AB is not important whether B comes first or second.
AB is similar to BA because we are selecting two players A and B.

Now, if one player is captain and other is vice caption this can be done in 6 ways.

Captain Vice Captain

A B
B A
B C
C B
C A
A C

In all these 6 cases we are selecting two players and arranging them into order manner in which there
is one captain and one vice caption. So, this is a case of arrangement and called permutation.

n
Combination is represented by cr
n
cr= n!/ (n-r)! . r!
n
Here cr can be defined as number of ways of selection of r things at a time from among n things.
10
Example 1: Selection of 5 people from among 10 can be done by c5 way
Which is equal to 10! / 5! X 5! = 252

Permutation is special case of selection and arrangement

n
We know that pr= n!/ (n – r) ! and also

n
cr= n!/ (n-r)! . r!
n
So, npr = cr x r!
Thus, in words it can be defined as the permutation or arrangement of r things out of n is nothing
but the selection of r things out of n things followed by the arrangement of r selected things
amongst themselves.

For example a sitting arrangement for 5 players from among 11 players of Indian cricket team can be
done by first selecting 5 from among 11 players & then arranging them in different order.

11
11p5 = c5 x 5p5
= (Selection & then arrangement)

Binomial Theorem:

According to binomial theorem

n
c0 + nc1 + nc2 + nc3 …………………………………….+ ncn = 2n

This is very powerful theorem having wider application in various sets of problems. Application in
various sets of problems .

It is nothing but total number of selection of zero or more things out of n different things

n
= c0 + nc1 + nc2 + nc3 …………………………………….+ ncn = 2n
For example: Rahul has friends, he want to invite them into a New Year party. He can invite either

5
1. No one into a party. i.e. c0 =1
5
2. one into a party, i.e. c1 =5
5
3. Two into a party, i.e. c2=10
5
4. Three into a party, i.e. c3 =10
5
5. Four into a party, i.e. c4 =5
5
6. All 5 into the party i.e. c5 =1

5
Thus, according to Binomial theorem total number of ways comes out is 32 which is equal to 2 .

Important Result with Explanation

1. Number of permutation of n different things taken all at a time=n!

Note: this is a case of non-repetition i.e. when repetition is not allowed.

Example 2: How many five digit numbers can be formed by 1,2,3,4 and 5 if repetition is not allowed.

Explanation: This can be done in 5! Ways.

2. Number of permutation of n things out of which p are of one type q are alike of second type
and r are alike of third type and rest all different
=n! /p! q! r!

Example 3: Out of 20 balls, if 10 are red in colour, 6 are blue in colour and 4 are green in
colour. Now these balls can be arranged in linear fashion in 20! / 10! X 6! X 4! Number of
ways.

3. Number of permutation of n different things taken r at a time when repetition is allowed.

=n x n x n x … ….. r times = nr

Example 3: How many three digit number can be formed by 1,3 and 5 if repetition is
allowed?
Explanation: This can be done in 33=27 ways
 4. Number of selection of r things out of n identical things =1

Example 4: In how many ways 3 balls pens can be chosen out of 50 identical balls pens?

Solutions: Since, all 50 identical ball pens are identical then number of ways to select 5 balls pens =1
(n-k)
5. Selection of r things out of n things if k things are always selected= C (r-k)

Example 5: If out of 11 football players 6 are to be invited into party such that Captain & Goalkeeper
will always be invited.
(11-2)
Solutions: then this can be done in C (6-2)

=9C 4 ways.

6. Selection of r things out of n things if k things are never be selected = (n-k) C r

Example 6: If out of 11 football players 6 are to be invited into a party such that Captain and Goal
keeper will never be invited.

Solution: Then this can be done in (11-2) C 6

9
= C 6 Ways.

n
7. c r = n c (n-r)
8. Number of selection of K consecutive things out of n things in a row

= n – k + 1 ways.

9. Number of squares in a square of n x n side = 12 + 22 + 32 + …………………..+n2

Number of rectangles in a square of n X n sides = 13 + 23 + 33 + …………………+n3

Thus the number of squares and rectangles in the following figures are given by

=12 + 22 + 32

=14 = ∑(1,n) n2

Number of rectangles
=13 + 23 + 33

=36 = ∑(1,n) n3

Circular Permutation:

In case of circular permutation the total number of ways of arrangement is (n-1)!

For example: Sitting arrangements for 6 people around a dining table in 6 chairs will be (6-1)!

=120 ways.

Flowers in a garland and beads in a necklace can be arranged in (n-1)! /2 ways.

Note: here clockwise and anti clock-wise observations are not different.