Permutation Questions:

1. There are 5 flags you want to display in a row. In how many ways can you arrange
them? (P5)

2. You have 10 people, but only 4 chairs. In how many ways can you choose who sits on
the chairs in a specific order? (P4)

3. A password requires 5 characters, each of which can be a lowercase letter (26 options)
or a number (10 options). How many possible passwords are there if order matters?
(26^5 + 10^5)

4. A Rubik's cube has 6 faces, each with 9 colored squares. How many different
arrangements of the squares are possible? (9!^6)

5. A committee needs 3 members from a group of 8, and the president must be one of
them. In how many ways can the committee be formed with the president position fixed?
(7P2)

Combination Questions:
6. You have 7 friends and want to choose 3 to go on a trip. In how many ways can you
choose the 3 friends? (7C3)

7. A deck of cards has 4 suits and 13 ranks. How many 5-card hands are there if order
doesn't matter? (52C5)

8. You want to choose 4 different fruits from a market with 10 different options. How many
combinations of fruits are there? (10C4)

9. There are 8 tasks you need to complete, but some tasks can be done concurrently. In
how many ways can you choose a group of 4 tasks to do together? (8C4)

10. A chemical compound can be formed by choosing 3 elements from a set of 12. How
many different compounds are possible? (12C3)

Bonus Questions:
11. Prove the relationship between permutations and combinations: nPr = n! / (n-r)!

12. Use combinations to solve a real-world optimization problem, like choosing the fastest
route through a network with multiple paths.

13. Apply Pascal's Triangle, which relates to combinations, to solve a problem involving
binomial coefficients.
 14. Calculate the number of ways to arrange n objects with k different colors such that no
two objects of the same color are together.

15 More Permutation and Combination Questions:

Permutations:
1. Circular Arrangements: In how many ways can you arrange 6 people around a circular
table? (Use (n-1)! for circular permutations)
2. Repeated Objects: How many 5-letter words can you form using the letters MISSISSIPPI
where each letter can appear multiple times? (Use casework or inclusion-exclusion
principle)
3. Distinguishable Balls: You have 3 red balls and 2 blue balls. How many ways can you
arrange them in a line if order and ball color matter? (Use factorial with repeated objects
formula)
4. Necklaces: How many unique necklaces can you make from 4 red beads and 5 blue
beads if beads of the same color are indistinguishable? (Use formula for circular
arrangements with indistinguishable objects)
5. Groups and Subgroups: There are 12 students in a class. How many committees of 3
students can be formed with at least 1 girl if there are 4 girls in the class? (Use
combinations with conditions)
Combinations:
6. Sampling without Replacement: How many ways can you choose 3 cards from a deck of
52 cards without putting them back? (Use combinations)
7. Subsets with Constraints: How many subsets of a set with 7 elements have an even
number of elements? (Use complementary counting or casework)
8. Multiset Combinations: How many ways can you choose 5 items from a collection with 3
red balls, 2 yellow balls, and 1 green ball, allowing repetition? (Use stars and bars
method or generalized combinations)
9. Binomial Coefficients: Expand (x + y)^4 using combinations and Pascal's Triangle.
10. Balls and Boxes: In how many ways can you distribute 8 identical balls into 3
distinguishable boxes? (Use stars and bars method)
Bonus:
11. Prove the identity nCr + nC(r-1) = nC(r+1) using Pascal's Triangle.

12. Apply combinations to solve a probability problem, like calculating the probability of
getting 3 heads in 4 coin flips.
 13. Use recurrence relations involving permutations or combinations to solve a problem like
the number of ways to climb n stairs with jumps of 1 or 2 steps.

14. Explain how permutations and combinations relate to factorials and Stirling's
approximation for large values of n.

15. Model a real-world problem, like seating arrangements in a theater or scheduling, using
permutations and combinations and derive solutions for optimization.

1. Round Table Gathering: How many unique seating arrangements are there for 8 guests
at a round table?
2. Secret Code Variations: You have 5 symbols to create a 4-letter code. How many unique
codes can you form if each symbol can be used multiple times?
3. Rainbow Beads: You have 4 red beads, 3 blue beads, and 2 yellow beads. How many
different necklaces can you make with these beads if order matters and beads of the
same color are considered distinct?
4. Musical Chairs with Groups: In a game of musical chairs with 10 players, 2 chairs are
removed after each round. How many different elimination orders are possible before the
last player remains?
5. Committee Quotas: A committee needs 5 members, with at least 2 women and 3 men. If
there are 8 women and 6 men available, in how many ways can the committee be
formed?
Combinations:
6. Poker Hands: How many different 5-card poker hands are there in a standard deck of 52
cards?
7. Subsets with Properties: In a set of 10 numbers, how many subsets have a sum that is
even?
8. Candy Choices: You have 3 types of candy and want to give away 5 bags. How many
different combinations of candy bags are possible if each bag can have any type and
number of candies?
9. Birthday Probability: In a class of 30 students, what is the probability that at least 2
students share the same birthday? (Hint: Use complementary counting)
10. Distributing Books: You have 5 different books and want to give them to 3 friends. How
many ways can you distribute the books if some friends can receive multiple books?
Bonus:
11. Pascal's Triangle Bridge: Prove that the sum of the entries in any diagonal of Pascal's
Triangle is equal to a power of 2.
12. Coin Toss Outcomes: What is the probability of getting exactly 2 heads in 5 coin flips?
(Hint: Use combinations and probability theory)
13. Fibonacci Sequence and Stairs: Derive the formula for the number of ways to climb n
stairs with jumps of 1 or 2 steps using a recurrence relation and combinations.
14. Large-Scale Arrangements: Explain how Stirling's approximation can be used to
estimate the number of permutations or combinations for very large values of n.
15. Airline Scheduling: Formulate a model for scheduling flights at an airport with multiple
gates and arrival times, using permutations and combinations to optimize efficiency.