Permutations and Combinations in Real Life
Understanding the Concepts and Their Applications.
Presented By
Sangam Karki
Introduction
Permutation
A permutation is an arrangement of a set of objects in a specific order. For example, if you have a
set of three elements, say {A,B,C},{A, B, C},{A,B,C}, the different ways to arrange these elements
are permutations. The possible permutations are: ABCABCABC, ACBACBACB, BACBACBAC,
BCABCABCA, CABCABCAB, and CBACBACBA.
In mathematical terms, the number of permutations of n distinct objects is given by n! (n
factorial), which is the product of all positive integers up to n.
• 3!=3×2×1=6 Permutations can also apply to situations with repetitions or constraints, but the
basic idea is always about the arrangement of items.
Example:3!=3×2×1=6 Permutations can also apply to situations with repetitions or
constraints, but the basic idea is always about the arrangement of items.
Combination
• A combination is a selection of items from a larger set where the order of
selection does not matter. For example, if you have a set of three
elements, {A,B,C} the possible combinations of choosing two elements are
{A,B},{A,C}, and {B,C}.
• In mathematical terms, the number of combinations of choosing r items
from a set of n items is denoted as and is calculated using the
𝒏 𝒏!
formula: 𝜸 =
𝒏−𝜸 !𝜸!
Or example, the number of ways to choose 2 items from a set of 3 is:
3 3!
= =3
2 3−2 !2!
This shows that combinations focus on the selection rather than the
arrangement of the items.
Real Life – Application of Permutation
Explanation: The order of characters matters; hence, permutations are used.
Example: 3-character passwords from 10 different characters.
𝒏!⋅
The formula for permutations is given by: P(n,r) =
𝒏−𝜸 !
Where:
• n is the total number of characters (10 in this case),
• r is the number of characters to choose (3 for the password).
10! 10!
• So, we calculate: P(10,3) = = = 720
10−3 ! 7!
Thus, 720 different 3-character passwords can be formed from 10 different
characters .
Real Life – Application of Combinations
Explanation: Choosing a set of numbers where order does not matter.
Example: Picking 6 numbers from a pool of 49.
𝐧!
The formula for combinations is C(n,r) =
𝐧−𝛄 !𝛄!
Where:
• n is the total number of items (49 in this case),
• r is the number of items to choose (6).
49! 49!
Plugging in the numbers: C(49,6) = = = 13,983,816
49−6 !6! 43!6!
So, there are 13,983,816 ways to pick 6 numbers from a pool of 49 numbers.
Interrelation Between Permutations and
Combinations
Key point : Combinations can be thought of as permutations divided by the
arrangements of the selected items .
Formula Relationship :
𝑛!
➢ Combination : C(n,r) = 𝑛−𝛾 !𝛾!
𝑛!
➢ Permutation : P(n,r) = 𝑛−𝛾 !
➢ Connection : C(n,r) = 𝑃 𝛾!
𝑛,𝛾
Example of Interrelation
Scenario: Forming a committee from a group of people.
Selecting a Committee: Use combinations (order doesn't matter).
Arranging the Committee Members for a Meeting: Use permutations (order
matters).
Example Of Calculation
Choose 3 out of 10 people for the committee: C(10,3)=120
Arrange those 3 members: P(3)=6
Total arrangements for the committee: 120×6=720
Conclusion
Summary:
Permutations and combinations are essential for organizing and
selecting items in various real-life scenarios.
Understanding their relationship helps in problem-solving in areas like
event planning, resource allocation, and more.
THANK
YOU
