CHAPTER 4

COUNTING METHODS
4.1 Basic principles
• Multiplication principle
If an activity can be performed in k successive
steps,
 Step 1 can be done in n1 ways
 Step 2 can be done in n2 ways
 …
 Step k can be done in nk ways
Then: the number of different ways that the
activity can be performed is the product
n1n2…nk
Factorial:
 Factorial: Factorial means a series of
multiplications from 1 up to some number. An
exclamatory symbol (!) indicates a factorial.
 Example

i. 3! = 3 × 2 × 1 = 6
ii. 7! = ?
4.2 Permutations and combinations

 A permutation of n distinct elements x1, x2,…, xn is

an ordering of the n elements. There are n!
permutations of n elements.
 Permutation : Permutation means arrangement of
things or ordering of objects.
Example of permutation:
1. Example: there are 3! = 6 permutations of
three elements a, b, c:
abc bac cab
acb bca cba
2. How many ways suppose Amy, Brian, and Charles
are to sit side by side?
3. How many ways are there to put 8 children in a
line to get ice cream?
 The permutation of n objects taken r at a time is represented
as P(n, r) = n !
(n-r)!
 Example:
i. Arrangement of 9 different balls in 3 different rows = 504
ways
ii. Find P(25, 5).
iii. In how many ways can you select a committee of 3 people
from a group of 12 members? The committee members consist
of a chairperson, treasurer and a secretary. 
 Combinations

Combination: Combination means selection of

things. The word selection is used, when the
order of things has no importance.
 C(n, r) = n! = n
r! (n – r)! r
Example:
1. You have five places left for stamps in your stamp
book and you have eight stamps. How many
different ways can you select five? Answer= 56
2. Picking a team of 3 people from a group of 10.
Answer = 120
3. There are five flavors of ice-cream: banana,
chocolate, lemon, strawberry and vanilla. You
can have three scoops. How many variations will
there be? Answer: 10
Pop Quiz:
1. Find factorial of 5! ?
2. Suppose there are 3 doors in a room, 2 on one side and
1 on other side. A man want to go out from the room. In
how may ways that he can come out by door ‘A’ or
door ‘B’ or door ’C’?
3. How many ways can first and second place be awarded
to 10 people?
4. To make a team of 11 players out of 20 players.
5. Find the number of ways to take 20 objects and arrange
them in groups of 5 at a time where order does not
matter.