Permutation and Combination

MUHAMMAD AWAIS
February 2023

Contents
1 Permutation 2

2 Permutation of Things Not All Different 4

3 Circular Permutation 5

4 Combination 7

5 Complementary Combination 8

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MUHAMMAD AWAIS — February 2023 Permutation and Combination

Permutation and combination are two concepts in mathematics that are often used
interchangeably. However, there is a difference between the two. In this handout, we will
explore permutation and combination and provide examples and word problems to help
you understand the concepts.

§1 Permutation
A permutation is an arrangement of objects in which order is important.
For instance, the 6 possible permutations of the letters A, B and C are shown.
B C
A
C B

A C
start B
C A

A B
C
B A

ABC ACB BAC BCA CAB CBA

Example 1.1
Consider the number of permutations of the letters in the word APRIL. In how
many ways can you arrange?
(a) all of the letters (b) 2 of the letters.

Proof.

(a) Use the Fundamental Counting Principal to find the number of permutation of the
letters in the word APRIL.
     
Choices for Choices for Choices for Choices for Choices for
Number of permutations =
1st letter 2nd letter 3rd letter 4th letter 5th letter
=5·4·3·2·1
= 120

There are 120 ways you can arrange all the letters the in the APRIL.

(b) When arranging 2 letters of the word APRIL, you have 5 choices for the 1st letter
and 4 choices for the 2nd letter.

Number of permutations = (Choices for 1st letter)(Choices for 2nd letter)

=5·4
= 20

There are 20 ways you can arrange 2 letters in the word APRIL.

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MUHAMMAD AWAIS — February 2023 Permutation and Combination

In Example 1.1 (a), you evaluated the expression 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1. This expression can be
written as “5 factorial”. For any positive integer n the product of the integers from 1 to
n is called n factorial and is written as
n! = n · (n − 1) · (n − 2)...3 · 2 · 1.

Remark 1.2. As a special case, the value of 0! is defined to be 1.

Theorem 1.3
The number of permutations of n objects taken r at a time, where r ≤ n, is given by

n n!
Pr =
(n − r)!

Proof. As there are n different objects to fill up r places. So, the first place can be filled
in n ways. Since repetitions are not allowed, the second place can be filled in (n-1) ways,
the third place is filled in (n − 2) ways and so on. The rth place has n − (r − 1) = n − r + 1
choices to be filled in. Therefore, by the fundamental principle of counting, r places can
be filled by n different objects in n(n − 1)(n − 2) . . . (n − r + 1) ways
∴ p = n(n − 1)(n − 2) . . . (n − r + 1)
n(n − 1)(n − 2) . . . (n − r + 1)(n − r)(n − r − 1) . . . 3 · 2 · 1
=
(n − r)(n − r − 1) . . . 3 · 2 · 1
n!
⇒ n Pr =
(n − r)!
which completes the proof.

The number of permutations of 5 objects taken 2 at a time is

5 5! 5 · 4 · 3!
P2 = = = 20
(5 − 2)! 3!

Example 1.4
How many 3 letter words with or without meaning can be formed out of the letters
of the word SWING?

Proof. Solution Here n = 5, as the word SWING has 5 letters. Since we have to frame 3
letter words with or without meaning, therefore total permutations possible are
5 5!
P3 = Permutations formula
(5 − 3)!
5!
= Subtract
2!
5×4×3×2×1
= Expand factorial
2×1
= 60 Simplify

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MUHAMMAD AWAIS — February 2023 Permutation and Combination

Corollary 1.5
If r = n, then
n n! n! n!
Pn = = = = n!
(n − n)! 0! 1

⇒ n different objects can be arranged taken all at a time in n! ways.

§2 Permutation of Things Not All Different

Suppose we have to find the permutation of the letters of the word BITTER, using all
the letters in it. We see that all the letters of the word BITTER are not different and it
has 2 Ts in it. Obviously, the interchanging of Ts in any permutation, say BITTER, will
not form a new permutation. However, if the two Ts are replaced by T1 and T2 we get
the following two permutation of BITTER

BITT1 T2 ER and BIT2 T1 ER

Similarly, the replacement of the two Ts by T1 and T2 in any other permutation will give
rise to 2 permutation.
Now, BIT1 T2 ER consists of 6 different letters which can be permuted among themselves
in 6! different ways. Hence the number of permutation of the letters of the word BITTER
taken all at a time
6! 6 · 5 · 4 · 3 · 2.1
= = = 360
2 2
This example guides us to discover the method of finding the permutation of n things all
of which are not different. Suppose that out of n things, n1 are alike of one kind and n2
are alike of second kind and the rest of them are all different.
Let x be the required number of permutation. Replacing n1 alike things by n1 different
things and n2 alike things by n2 different things, we shall get all the n things distinct
from each other which can be permuted among themselves in (n)! ways.
As n1 different things can be permuted among themselves in (n1 )! ways and n2 different
things can be arranged among themselves in (n2 !) ways, so because of the replacement
suggested above, x permutation would increase to x × (n1 )! × (n2 )! number of ways.

∴ x × (n1 )! × (n2 )! = (n)!

 
(n)! n
Hence x = (n1 )!×(n2 )! =
n1 , n2

Corollary 2.1
If there are n1 alike things of one kind, n2 alike things of the second kind and n3
alike things of the third kind, then the number of permutation of n things, taken all
at a time is given by:
 
n! n
=
(n1 ) × (n2 )! × (n3 )! n1 , n2 , n3

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MUHAMMAD AWAIS — February 2023 Permutation and Combination

Example 2.2
In how many ways can be letters of the word BORROW be arranged when all the
letters are to be used?

Proof. Number of letters in BORROW = 6

In BORROW,
R is repeated 2 times
O is repeated 2 times
B comes only once
W comes only once.  
6
Required number of permutation =
2, 2, 1, 1
(6)!
=
(2)! × (2)! × (1)! × (1)!
= 180 ways

§3 Circular Permutation
So far we have been studying the permutation of things that can be represented by the
points on a straight line. We shall now study the permutation of things that can be
represented by the points on a circle. The permutation of things that can be represented
by the points on a circle is called Circular Permutation.
There are 2 types of Circular Permutation:

• If Clockwise and Anticlockwise orders are different.

• If Clockwise and Anticlockwise orders are the same.

Clockwise and Anticlockwise Orders are Different

When the clockwise and anticlockwise orders are different then: The number of circular
permutations is.
Pn = (n − 1)!
where n = Total number of objects and Pn = Circular Permutation.

A A

C C

B B

(A − C − B) (A − B − C)

Example 3.1
In how many ways can 5 persons be seated at a round table.

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MUHAMMAD AWAIS — February 2023 Permutation and Combination

Proof. Let A, B, C, D, E be the 5 persons One of the ways of seating them round a table
is shown in the following figure.
B

D
If each person moves one or two or more places to the left or the right, they will, no doubt,
be occupying different seats, but their positions relative to each other will remain the
same. So, when A occupies a certain seat, the remaining 4 persons will be permuting their
seats among themselves in 4 ! ways. Hence the number of arrangements = 4! = 24

Clockwise and Anticlockwise Orders are Same

When the clockwise and anticlockwise orders are the same then: The number of circular
permutations is.
(n − 1)!
Pn =
2
where n = Total number of objects and Pn = Circular Permutation.

Example 3.2
In how many ways can a necklace of 4 beads of different colors be made?

Proof. The number of beads = 4

The number of arrangements of 4 beads in the necklace will be like the seating of 4
persons round a table.
⇒ The number of such necklaces (fixing one of the beads) = 3!
Now suppose the beads are A, B, C, D and the necklace is as shown in Figure (I) below:
FLIP TO RIGHT

A A

B D D B

C C
I II

By flipping the necklace we get the necklace as shown in figure (II). We observe that the
two arrangements of the beads are actually the same.
Hence the required number of necklaces = 12 × (3)! = 3

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MUHAMMAD AWAIS — February 2023 Permutation and Combination

§4 Combination
A combination is a selection of objects in which order is not important.
For instance, in a drawing for 3 identical prizes, you would use combinations, because
the order of the winner would not matter. If the prizes were different, then you would
use permutations, because the order would matter.

Example 4.1
Count the possible combinations of 2 letters chosen from the list M, N, O, P .

Proof. List all of the permutations of 2 letters from the list M, N, O, P . Because order is
not important in a combination, cross out any duplicate pairs.
MN
  MO
 MP
  NM NO
 NP

OM ON OP PM PN PO


There are 6 possible combinations of 2 letters from the list M, N, O, P .

Theorem 4.2
The number of combinations of n objects taken r at a time, where r ≤ n, is given by

n n!
Cr =
r! · (n − r)!

Proof. There are n Cr combinations of n different objects taken r at a time. Each

combination consists of r different objects which can be permuted among themselves
in r! ways. So, each combination will give rise to r! permutation. Thus there will be
n C × r! permutation of n different objects taken r at a time.
r

n
Cr × r! = n Pr
n!
⇒ n Cr × r! =
(n − r)!
n!
∴ n Cr =
r!(n − r)!
Which completes the proof.

The number of combinations of 5 objects taken 3 at a time is

5 5! 5 · 4 · 3!
C3 = = = 10
(5 − 3)! · 3! 2! · 3!

Corollary 4.3

nc n! n!
i) If r = n, then n = n!(n−r)! = n!0! =1
nc n! n!
ii) If r = 0, then 0 = 0!(n−0)! = 0!n! =1

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MUHAMMAD AWAIS — February 2023 Permutation and Combination

Example 4.4
You order a sandwich at a restaurant. You can choose3 side dishes from a list of 10,
how many combinations of sides are possible?

Proof. The order in which you choose the side dishes is not important. So find the
number of combinations of 10 sides dishes taken 3 at a time, find 10 C3 .

10 10!
C3 = Combinations Formula
(10 − 3)! · 3!
10!
= Subtract
7! · 3!
10 · 9 · 8 · 7!
= Expand factorials
7! · 3!
720
= Multiply
6
= 120 Simplify

There are 120 combinations of side dishes you can order.

§5 Complementary Combination

Theorem 5.1
Prove that n cn = n cn−r

n n!
cn−r =
(n − r)!(n − n + r)!
Proof. n! n!
= =
(n − r)!r! r!(n − r)!
⇒ n cn−r n
= cr

n
Remark 5.2. This result will be found useful in evaluating n Cr when r > 2.
e.g 12 C10 = 12 C12−10 = 12 C2 = (12).(11)
2 = (6).(11) = 66

Example 5.3
If n C8 = n C12 , find n.

Proof. We know that n Cr = n Cn−r

∴ n C8 = n Cn−8 (i)
But it is given that n C8 = n C12 (ii)
From (i) and (ii), we conclude that
n
Cn−8 = n C12
⇒ n − 8 = 12
∴ n = 20

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MUHAMMAD AWAIS — February 2023 Permutation and Combination

Example 5.4
Find the number of the diagonals of a 6-sided figure.

Proof. A 6-sided figure has 6 vertices. Joining any two vertices we get a line segment.
6!
∴ Number of line segments 6 C2 = 2!4! = 15
But these line segments include 6 sides of the figure
∴ Number of diagonals = 15 − 6 = 9