Permutations and Combinations

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PERMUTATIONS AND COMBINATIONS

Permutations

The number of ordered sequences where repetition is not allowed, ie no element can appear more than once in the sequence.

Ordered samples (sequences) of size k from n

nPk = n(n-1)(n-2)...(n-k+1) = n! / (n-k)!

This is also known as the number of permutations of n distinct objects taken k at a time.

 

Combinations

The number of unordered sets of distinct elements, ie repetition is not allowed.

Number of ways of selecting k distinct elements from n or equivalently number of unordered samples of size k, without replacement from n

nCk = nPk / k! = n! / k! (n-k)!

This is the number of combinations of n distinct objects taken k at a time.

 

 

Some Examples

 


Last updated: September, 2002.