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6: PERMUTATIONS

A) THE MULTIPLICATION RULE OF COUNTING

COOPERATIVE LEARNING FROM TEXT BOOK, PG 146

CATEGORY 1 CATEGORY 2
SOUP FRIED CHICKEN
SALAD MUTTON CURRY
FRIED FISH

Q: How many different meals can a consumer select?

CATEGORY 1 CATEGORY 2 POSSIBLE MEALS=6

soup, fried chicken

soup soup, mutton curry

soup, fried fish

salad, fried chicken

salad
salad, mutton curry
salad, fried fish

From the cooperative learning,

Total number of different meals = number of possible dishes

in category 1 x

number of possible dishes in

category 2

= 2x3

= 6

Each possible outcomes is called permutation.

Conclusion: If an operation can be performed in r different

ways and a second operation can be performed in s

1
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different ways, then both operations can be performed in (r x

s) ways. This is called multiplication rule of counting.

B) PERMUTATIONS OF n DIFFERENT OBJECTS

Q: Latif, Mohan and Nasrul are the only three runners

completing in the 5000 m race. How many possible
outcomes of the race would there be?

i) By using the multiplication rule,

Total number of permutations = 3 x (3-1) x (3-2)

=3x2x1

= 6

[ 3 x 2 x 1 can be written as 3!, !=factorial ]

ii) By using ‘fill in the box’

3 2 1
X X
L, M, N M, N N

C) Permutations of n different objects taken r at a time

i) Using formula

The number of permutations of 8 objects taken 3 at a time

can be represented by the symbol 8 =

= or

2
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= = 336

ii) Using ‘fill in the box’method

8 runners 7 runners 6 runners

X X

Total permutations = 8 x 7 x 6
= 336