12/3/2015

GMATPermutationsandCombinations|MagooshGMATBlog

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GMATPermutationsandCombinations
BYMIKEMCGARRYONJANUARY11,2012INFORMULAS,PERMUTATIONSANDCOMBINATIONS,QUANTITATIVE

Permutations
Apermutationisapossibleorderinwhichtoputasetofobjects.SupposeIhadashelfof5differentbooks,andIwantedto
know:inhowmanydifferentorderscanIputthese5books?Anotherwaytosaythatis:5bookshavehowmanydifferent
permutations?
Inordertoanswerthisquestion,weneedanoddmathsymbol:thefactorial.Itswrittenasanexclamationsign,anditmeans:
theproductofthatnumberandallthepositiveintegersbelowit,downto1.Forexample,4!(readfourfactorial)is
4!=(4)(3)(2)(1)=24

Heresthepermutationformula:
#ofpermutationsofnobjects=n!
So,fivebooks

thenumberofpermutationsis5!=(5)(4)(3)(2)(1)=120

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Combinations
Acombinationisaselectionfromalargerset.Supposethereisaclassof20,andwearegoingtopickateamofthreepeople
atrandom,andwewanttoknow:howmanydifferentpossiblethreepersonteamscouldwepick?Anotherwaytosaythatis:
howmanydifferentcombinationsof3canbetakenfromasetof20?
Thisformulaisscarylooking,butreallynotbadatall.Ifnisthesizeofthelargercollection,andristhenumberofelements
thatwillbeselected,thenthenumberofcombinationsisgivenby

#ofcombinations=

Again,thislookscomplicated,butitgetssimpleveryfast.Inthequestionjustposed,n=20,r=3,andnr=17.Therefore,

#ofcombinations=

Tosimplifythis,considerthat:
20!=(20)(19)(18)(17)(theproductofallthenumberslessthan17)

Or,inotherwords,
20!=(20)(19)(18)(17!)

Thatneatlittletrickallowustoenormouslysimplifythecombinationsformula:

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#ofcombinations=

ThatexampleismostlikelyharderthananythingyoullseeontheGMATmath,butyoumaybeaskedtofindcombinationswith
smallernumbers.

PracticeQuestions
1)Abooksellerhastwodisplaywindows.Sheplanstodisplay4newfictionbooksintheleftwindow,and3newnonfiction
booksintherightwindow.Assumingshecanputthefourfictionbooksinanyorder,andseparately,thethreenonfictionbooks
inanyorder,howmanytotalconfigurationswilltherebeforthetwodisplaywindows?
(A)24
(B)72
(C)144
(D)336
(E)420

2)ThecountymandatedguidelinesatacertaincommunitycollegespecifythatfortheintroductoryEnglishclass,theprofessor
maychooseoneofthreespecifiednovels,andchoosetwofromalistof5specifiedplays.Thus,thereadinglistforthis
introductoryclassisguaranteedtohaveonenovelandtwoplays.Howmanydifferentreadinglistscouldaprofessorcreate
withintheseparameters?
(A)15
(B)30
(C)90
(D)150
(E)360

AnswersandExplanations
1)Theleftwindowwillhavepermutationsofthe4fictionbooks,sothenumberofpossibilitiesforthatwindowis
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GMATPermutationsandCombinations|MagooshGMATBlog

permutations=4!=(4)(3)(2)(1)=24

Therightwindowwillhavepermutationsofthe3nonfictionbooks,sothenumberofpossibilitiesforthatwindowis
permutations=3!=(3)(2)(1)=6

Anyofthe24displaysoftheleftwindowcouldbecombinedwithanyofthe6displaysoftherightwindow,sothetotalnumber
ofconfigurationsis24*6=144
Answer:C.

2)Therearethreepossibilitiesforthenovel.Withtheplays,wearetakenacombinationof2fromasetof5

n=5,r=2,

nr=3

#ofcombinations=

IftheplaysareP,Q,R,S,andT,thenthe10setsoftwoarePQ,PR,PS,PT,QR,QS,QT,RS,RT,&ST.
Anyofthethreenovelscanbegroupedwithanyofthe10possiblepairsofplays,foratotalof30possiblereadinglists.
Answer:B.

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AboutMikeMcGarry
MikecreatesexpertlessonsandpracticequestionstoguideGMATstudentstosuccess.HehasaBSinPhysicsandanMAin
Religion,bothfromHarvard,andover20yearsofteachingexperiencespecializinginmath,science,andstandardized
exams.Mikelikessmashingfoosballsintoorbit,anddespitehavingnoobviouscranialdeficiency,heinsistsonrootingfor
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23ResponsestoGMATPermutationsandCombinations
NeerajSeptember20,2015at10:27am#

REPLY

ThankyouMagoosh.
Thesecondquestioncanalsobesolvedinasimpleway
#ofcombinationsofnovels+#ofcombinationsofplays
=3!/1*2!+5!/2!*3!
=3*10
=30

AlexSeptember29,2015at8:52pm#

REPLY

Neeraj
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