Exercise 7.

4
Question # 1:
Evaluate the following
12 20 n
1. C3 2. C17 3. C4
Solution:
12 12! 12! 12.11.10.9! 12.11.10 1320
1. C3 = (12−3)!3! = 9!3! = = =
9!3! 3! 6
= 220
20 20! 20! 20.19.18.17! 20.19.18 6840
2. C17 = (20−17)!17! = 3!17! = = =
3!17! 3! 6
= 1140
n n! n(n−1)(n−2)(n−3)(n−4)!
3. C4 = (n−4)!4!
= (n−4)!4!
n(n − 1)(n − 2)(n − 3)
=
4!

Question # 2:
Find the value of n, when
n 12×11
1. C5 = nC4 2. n
C10 = 3. n
C12 = nC6
2!

Solution:

1. since nC5 = nC4

n
Cn-5 = nC4
n-5=4 → n= 4+5 → n = 9
n 12×11
2. C10 = 2!
12.11.10!
→ nC10 = 2!10!
12!
→ C10 = (12−10)!10!
n

→ nC10 = 12C10
→n=12
3. since nC12 = nC6
n
Cn-12 = nC6
n-12=6 → n= 6+12 → n = 18

Question # 3:
Find the values of n and r, when
n
1. Cr=35 and nPr = 210 2. n-1
Cr-1 : nCr : n+1Cr+1 = 3:6:11
Solution:
n
1. Cr=35 and nPr = 210
 n! n!
since nCr=35 → (n−r)!r! = 35 → (n−r)! = 35. r! … … … … (i)
n!
also, nPr = 210 →(n−r)!r! = 210 … … … … … (ii)
comparing (i) and (ii)
35.r! = 210
210
r! = → r! =6 → r! = 3! → r = 3
35
n!
= 210
(n − r)! r!

n(n−1)(n−2)(n−3)!
→ (n−3)!
= 210
n (n-1) (n-2) = 210
n (n-1) (n-2) = 7.6.5
n=7
n-1 n n+1
2. Cr-1: Cr: Cr+1 = 3:6:11
First :
n-1
Cr-1: nCr = 3:6
(n − 1)! n!
→ : = 3: 6
(n − 1 − r + 1)! (r − 1)! (n − r)! r!
(n − 1)! n!
→ : = 3: 6
(n − r)! (r − 1)! (n − r)! r!
(n − 1)!
(n − r)! (r − 1)! 3
→ =
n! 6
(n − r)! r!

(n − 1)! (n − r)! r! 1
→ × =
(n − r)! r! n! 2
(n − 1)! r! 1
→ × =
(n − r)! n! 2
r 1
→ = → n = 2r … … … … … (i)
n 2
Now:
n
Cr: n+1Cr+1=6:11
n! (n − 1)!
→ : = 6: 11
(n − r)! r! (n + 1 − r − 1)! (r + 1)!
n! (n − 1)!
→ : = 6: 11
(n − r)! r! (n − r)! (r + 1)!
n!
(n − r)! r! 6
→ =
(n + 1)! 11
(n − r)! (r + 1)!
 (n)! (n − r)! (r + 1)! 6
→ × =
(n − r)! r! (n + 1)! 11
n! (r + 1)! 6
→ × =
r! (n + 1)! 11
n! (r + 1)r! 6
→ × =
r! (n + 1)n! 11
(r + 1) 6
→ =
(n + 1) 11
11(r + 1) = 6(n + 1)
11(r+1) = 6(2r+1)
11r+11 = 12r+6
11r-12r = 6-11 →-r=-5
r=5
putting value in (i)
n = 10

Question # 4:
How many (a) diagonals and (b) triangles can be formed by joining the vertices of
the polygon having:
1. 5 sides 2. 8 sides 3. 12 sides
Solution:
1. 5 sides
• 5-sided polygon has 5 vertices,
so, joining two vertices we have line segments = 5C2 =10
Number of sides = 5
So number of diagonals = 10 – 5 = 5
• 5-sided polygon has 5 vertices,
so joining any three vertices we have triangles = 5C3 =10
2. 8 sides
• 8-sided polygon has 8 vertices
So joining any two vertices we have line segments = 8C2 = 28
Number of sides = 8
So number of diagonals = 28 – 8 = 20
• 8-sided polygon has 8 vertices,
so joining any three vertices we have triangles = 8C3 = 56.
3. 12 sides
• 12-sided polygon has 12 vertices
So joining any two vertices we have line segments = 12C2 = 66
Number of sides = 12
So number of diagonals = 66 – 12 = 54
• 12-sided polygon has 12 vertices,
so joining any three vertices we have triangles = 12C3 = 220
Question # 5:
The members of a club are 12 boys and 8 girls. In how many ways can a committee
of 3 boys and 2 girls be formed?

Solution:
Number of boys = 12
So committees formed taking 3 boys = 12C3 = 220
Number of girls = 8
So committees formed by taking 2 girls = 8C2 = 28
Now total committees formed including 3 boys and 2 girls = 220 × 28
= 6160

Question # 6:
How many committees of 5 members can be chosen from a group of 8 persons when
each committee must include 2 particular persons?
Solution:
Number of persons = 8
Since two particular persons are included in every committee so we must
find combinations of 6 persons 3 at a time = 6C3 = 20
Hence number of committees = 20

Question # 7:
In how many ways can a hockey team of 11 players be selected out of 15 players?
How many of them will include a particular player?
Solution:
The number of players = 15
So combination, taking 11 players at a time = 15C11 =1365
Now if one player is in each collection
then number of combinations = 14C10 =1001

Question # 8:
Show that 16C11 + 16C10 = 17C11

Solution:
L.H.S
= 16C11 + 16C10
16! 16! 16! 16!
= + = +
(16 − 11)! 11! (16 − 10)! 5! 11! 6! 10!
 16! 16! 16! 1 1
= + = ( + )
5! 11.10! 6.5! 10! 10! 5! 11 6
16! 6 + 11 16! 17 16! 17
= ( )= ( )= ( )
10! 5! 66 10! 5! 66 10! 5! 11.6
17.6! 17! 17!
= = =
11.10! 6.5! 11! 6! 11! (17 − 11)!
=17C11

Question # 9:
There are 8 men and 10 women members of a club. How many committees of
numbers can be formed? Having:
1. 4 women 2. at the most 4 women 3. at least 4 women

Solution:
Number of men = 8
Number of women = 10
1. We must form combination of 4 women out of 10 and 3 men out
= 10C4 X 8C3
= 210 X 36
= 11760
2. At the most 4 women means that women are less than or equal to 4, which implies the
following possibilities (1W,6M), (2W,5M), (3W,4M), (4W,3M), (7M)
= 10C1 X 8C6 + 10C2 X 8C5 + 10C3 X 8C4 + 10C4 X 8C3 + 8C7
= (10)(28) + (45)(56) + (120) (70) + (210) (56) + (8)
= 280 + 2520 + 8400 + 11760 + 8
= 22968
3. At least 4 women means that women are greater than or equal to 4, which implies the
following possibilities (4W,3M), (5W,2M), (6W,1M), (7W)
= 10C4 X 8C3 + 10C5 X 8C2 + 10C6 X 8C1 + 10C7
= (210) (56) + (252) (28) + (210) (8) + 120
= 11760 + 7056 + 1680 + 120
= 20616

Question # 10:
Prove that nCr + nCr-1 = n+1Cr

Solution:
n! n!
L.H.S = nCr + nCr-1 = (n−r)!r! + (n−(r−1))!(r−1)!
 n! n!
= +
(n − r)! r! (n − r + 1)! (r − 1)!
n! n!
= +
(n − r)! r(r − 1)! (n − r + 1)! (n − r)! (r − 1)!
n! 1 1
= ( + )
(n − r)! (r − 1)! r (n − r + 1)
n! n−r+1+r
= ( )
(n − r)! (r − 1)! r(n − r + 1)
n! n+1
= ( )
(n − r)! (r − 1)! r(n − r + 1)
(n + 1)n!
=
(n − r + 1)(n − r)! r(r − 1)!
(n+1)! (n+1)!
= (n−r+1)!r! = (n+1−r)!r! = n+1Cr = R.H.S

Hence proved that L.H.S=R.H.S