MA4201: Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science MSc (M&SC), I Sem

Lecture-19
Department of Mathematics, NIT Warangal Scribe: Dr. Y. Sreenivasa Rao

1. Permutations

Definition 1. Let S be a set of distinct objects. Any ordered arrangement of the objects of
S is called a permutation. An ordered arrangement of r elements of S is called an r-permutation.

Example 10. Let S = {a, b, c}. The ordered arrangement b, a, c is a permutation of S. The
ordered arrangement c, b is a 2-permutation of S. The ordered arrangement c is a 1 permutation
of S.

Fact 1. Let n, r ∈ N such that r ≤ n. Then the number of r-pernutations of a set with n
elements is denoted by P (n, r) and is given by P (n, r) = n(n − 1)(n − 2) · · · (n − r + 1).

n!
Fact 2. P (n, r) =
(n − r)!

Note: Now, we can define P (n, r) for r = 0. P (n, 0) = 1. Also, note that P (n, n) = n!.

Example 11. Suppose that a salesman has to visit eight different cities. He must begin
his trip in a specified city, but he can visit the other seven cities in any order he wishes. How
many possible orders can the salesman use when visiting these cities?

Example 12. How many permutations of the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H contain the

string ABC? (when all the letters are used)

2. Combinations

Definition 2. Let S be a set with n elements and 0 ≤ r ≤ n. An r-combination of elements

of S is an unordered selection of r elements from S. Thus, an r-combination is simply a subset
with r elements.
(n)
The number of r-combinations of a set with n distinct elements is denoted by C(n, r) or r .

1
Example 13. Let S = {1, 2, 3, 4}. All possible 3-combinations of the elements of S are
{1, 2, 3}, {1, 2, 4}, {2, 3, 4} and {1, 3, 4}.
The following theorem will give you the relation between P (n, r) and C(n, r).

Theorem 2. Let n and r be two non-negative integers with r ≤ n. Then,

P (n, r) n!
C(n, r) = =
P (r, r) r!(n − r)!

Example 14. How many poker hands of five cards can be dealt from a standard deek of 52
cards? Also, how many ways are there to select 47 cards from a standard deck of 52 cards?

Theorem 3. Let n and r be two non-negative integers with r ≤ n. Then, C(n, r) = C(n, n − r).

Example 15 . How many bit strings of length n contain exactly r1 s?

Example 16. Suppose that there are 9 faculty members in the mathematics department and
11 in the computer science department. How many ways are there to select a committee to
develop a discrete mathematics course at a school if the committee is to consist of three faculty
members from the mathematics department and four from the computer science department?

Reference
1. Kenneth H Rosen. Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications with Combinatorics and
Graph Theory, 7th Edition, Tata McGraw Hill, 2017.