(Assisted with TI-83+ silver)

Permutations and Combinations

Dan Tracz Grade 10/11 5 day lesson plan 11/7/04

Objectives for this unit

- To create a better understanding of combinations and permutations. - To address problems that will be on the Math A exam. - To have students be fluent in completing combination and permutation problems on the graphing calculator. - To have students be able to tell the difference between permutation and combination problems.

Standards
NCTM- Principles and Standards for School Mathematics-2nd ed. 2000 -Understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another. -Compute fluently and make reasonable estimates. -Represent and analyze mathematical situations and structure using algebraic symbols. -Use mathematical models to represent and understand quantitative relationships. -Understand the basic concepts of probability. -Solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts. -Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems. -Communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others. -Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others. -Organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking through communication. NYSS- Mathematics-Resource Guide with Core Curriculum -Students use mathematical reasoning to analyze mathematical situations, make conjectures, gather evidence, and construct an argument. -Students use mathematical operations and relationships among them to understand mathematics. -Students use mathematical modeling/multiple representation to provide a means of presenting, interpreting, communication, and connecting mathematical information and relationships.

Resources
Internet -Math World Wolfram www.mathworld.wolfram.com Book -Discrete Mathematics With Applications, second edition Epp, Susanna S. 1995, PWS Publishing Company 20 Park Plaza, Boston, MA *Talked to Daniel Miller At NCCC about counting problems since he teaches a probability course there. It was his idea for the similarities and differences between permutations and combinations worksheet.

Materials
TI-83+ Silver graphing calculator Overhead view screen Counting sticks 3 sets of assignment handouts 3 sets of answer sheets

Permutation and Combination Problems

This unit is designed to give students a better understanding with counting problems. It can be extremely difficult for students to distinguish between these problems. They are very similar and are usually worded very closely to each other. This being said it is very important to show why they are similar and how to tell the differences between them. Formulas and examples will give the students a handle on these problems. However, it is through the technology of the graphing calculator that students will master counting problems. The calculator is a tool that helps students further their education. The calculator gives the students a second approach to trying to solve a problem. One way will not suit every student the same. They must find the way that is easiest for them. Using the calculator can also be a motivator for students. Kids like technology and it is that we as teachers should use to our advantage. Day 1- Introduction to permutations. Explain factorials. Day 2- Introduction to combinations. Day 3- Similarities and differences between permutations and combinations. Day 4- Go over all worksheets(Math A material). Day 5- Have students each create a problem from their own experiences.

Day 1- Introduction to permutations Objectives - Students will be able to calculate a factorial and permutation using a formula. - Students will understand what factorials and permutation are. Opening Activity The teacher will ask the class a very basic question. Say, three people are eligible to win two distinct prizes. Now the students can reason this out. They can use the counting sticks to solve this simple permutation. They can use certain colors to distinguish the participants, who won, who didnt. They can also write the three names on a sheet of paper and use three colors for winners and losers to simplify things a bit. Win prize 1 Win prize 2 Loss

Mike Owen Geoff outcome # 1 2 3 4 5 6

The students will see that this gives them the correct answer of six. It is rather cumbersome, and a student will say, but hey, it worked.. Now the teacher will give a hard problem. One that would take all day by the colored sticks method. Say there are 10 people that can win four distinct prizes. Feel out the students ideas. Lesson Start out by telling students that they will be evaluating counting problems. Explain what a counting problem involves. During day one deal only with permutations. First, the teacher will address the concept of a factorial. Show the students the notation and the formula. Do as many examples as needed. A factorial n! Is defined as some positive int. such that....

n!= n*(n - 1)......2*1 *Note: Explain that 0!=1. (One way to arrange a set of zero objects). This comes up in counting problems. Ex: 6!= 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1= 720 Explain to the students that the type of problem they were attempting is called a permutation. That this is a problem that involves counting the number of ways a certain scenario can occur. Show the formula of nPr. Explain that n elements are taken r at a time. The teacher gives the formula............ n!/(n - r)! Model a couple problems for the students. Then have students attempt problems at the board while others do them at their seats. Homework Assign permutation sheet for homework.

Day 2- Introduction to combinations Objectives -Students will be able to calculate a combination using a formula. -Students will have an understanding of what a combination is. Opening activity In a manner very similar to yesterday, the teacher will ask the students a very basic question. Say, Three people are eligible to win two prizes. Both prizes are exactly the same. Break out the counting sticks and see what the students come up with for this combination. Win prize 1 Mike Owen Geoff The students should notice that since both prizes are the same, it doesnt matter which one is won. So the number of outcomes is.......... Outcome # 1 2 3 Win prize 2 Lost

Three. There are three outcomes. It worked, but this too can get cumbersome. Give the students another example of a problem that could take some time when applying this method. Try 20 people with five prizes. They will probably take your word for it considering the previous days events. But show them how again even though the permutation numbers were also very large. Ask the students if they see how this is shaping up to be different. Lesson The teacher will explain that there is a second type of counting problem. The combination. The teachers writes the formula for nCr as follows....... n!/( r! * (n - r)!) If needed refresh the idea of the factorial and write the formula on the board again.

Students will be told this is the way choose as it is sometimes called, to pick r unordered outcomes from n possibilities. Stress the unordered part. By now some students will be confused. Everyone usually is when they first see these two types of counting problems. Day 3 should have all confusion laid to rest. This is where both types of problems will be put against each other. Now give students as many examples as they need to see how order not mattering comes into play. The counting stick problem should have cleared most of this up. Model a couple problems for the students. Then have students attempt problems at the board while others do them at their seats. Homework Assign combination sheet for homework.

Day 3- Similarities and differences between permutations and combinations Objectives - Students will be able to identify whether a problem is a combination or a permutation. - Students will be able to complete counting problems on the TI-83+ silver calculator. Opening activity (lesson) The teacher will begin the class by asking the students what they believe is the difference in these two similar types of counting problems. It should be explained and stressed again that order is the key idea here. Show the students what is meant by order. Give them a few examples. from a group of five, a small business will select three employees to go out of town meetings. One in New York, one in San Francisco, and one in San Jose. How many selections are possible? Now the teacher will ask if order matters here. A student should either point out or the teacher should that even if you get selected to go to a meeting, the final outcome(destination) is different. So therefore it is a permutation. A teacher has six nestle crunch bars. He will give one to each of the six highest scores on the next test. If there are 13 students in his class, how many arrangements are possible? The teacher should again ask if order matters. A student should either point out or the teacher should that as long as you get a candy bar you should be happy. You would not care if you got the first candy bar or the last, it still tastes the same. Therefore it is a combination. The teacher will do more of these as needed until the students understand the concept. Activity 2 Once the students feel comfortable with the formula and difference of counting problems a shorter way should be introduced. The teacher will show that the counting problems can be completed on their calculators. The teacher should show the students on the overhead view screen so they can follow along. Under the MATH key there is a PRB tab. The arrows are used to scroll over to it. Choices 2 and 3 are nPr and nCr. Once the student figures out what type of counting problem they are dealing with the rest can be completed on the calculator. Starting in the home screen type in the first

number, which is the bigger number. Hit MATH, scroll to PRB and make the desired selection by hitting enter. Then the students will type in the second number and hit enter. The number displayed is the students answer. nPr-Permutation nCr-Combination

Factorials are even less work. The students will type in the number. Getting to the same screen as before, the students will choose option 4. Then in the home screen all is left to do is to hit enter. The value of the factorial is displayed. This is not meant to be the way a student learns the counting problems. It is meant to be a time saver. During a lesson or a test the longhand way can be cumbersome and time consuming. Homework Assign differences between combinations and factorials worksheet.

Day 4- Go over all worksheets Objectives -Students will have a better understanding of questions that will be encountered on the Math A exam. -Students will effectively be able to work with their classmates and present an assignment to the rest of the class. Opening Activity Have the students break into 3 groups and have each group review their answers to 1 assignment. If the students have different answers they must then as a group decide on one answer. The teacher will walk around the class and help the groups if needed. Before the lesson begins the teacher will give each group an answer sheet to the worksheets. The students will then check their answers to make sure they are not presenting the incorrect solution to a problem. Lesson The teacher will have each group present their assignment at the board. Each student from the group will complete one problem from the assignment on the board. The students will also field questions from the rest of the class if there are any. The teacher will make it clear to students that they will randomly be asked to do the problem shorthand AND/OR longhand. After everyone has presented the teacher will ask if there are any questions with any of the worksheets. If so, they will be addressed. The teacher will collect the assignments. Homework None

Day 5- Have the students create their own counting problem from past experiences Objectives -Students will have a deeper understanding and increased interest in counting problems by being able to relate to them. -Students will have a better understanding of questions that will be encountered on the Math A exam. Opening Activity/Lesson The teacher will begin the class by asking the students how they feel about counting problems. If there is any misunderstanding time will be taken to clarify it. When the students are comfortable they will be asked to create a counting problem of their own. The students may create either a permutation problem or a combination problem. The students may be as creative as they wish. After the students are done with their problem, they will pair up with another student and solve the other students problem. The students will then present their problems in groups of two to the class. It is then the rest of the classs job to decide if the solution to the problem is correct. If a student objects to a solution to a problem the teacher will let the class discuss it. The class will then work to see if the solution is correct or towards the correct solution. The teacher should interject if he/she sees the students accepting an incorrect solution. The teacher should not give the correct solution unless the students are completely stumped. He/she should just simply tell the students that they are incorrect. Homework None

Conclusion I believe these lessons will be very beneficial to the students. They are relevant and the assignments are similar to problems that are encountered on the Math A exam. I also feel that the cooperative part of the lessons are what makes it a great one. The fact that the students get to see how their classmates perceive these problems can help them if they are struggling to understand counting problems. The Differences between permutations and combinations worksheet is also very important to the understanding of counting problems.

Permutation Worksheet Solve the following permutation problems. 1.) In a contest in which there are 8 participants, in how many ways can 5 distinct prizes be awarded? A.) B.) C.) D.) 112 6720 336 672

2.) A club elects a president, vice-president, and secretary-treasurer. How many sets of officers are possible if there are 15 members and any member can be elected to each position? No person can hold more than one position. A.) B.) C.) D.) 2730 32,760 910 1365

3.) A church has 7 bells in its bell tower. Before each church service 5 bells are rung in sequence. No bell is rung more than once. How many possible sequences are there? A.) B.) C.) D.) 2520 42 84 21

4.) How many arrangements can be made using 2 letters of the word HYPERBOLAS if no letter is to be used more than once? A.) B.) C.) D.) 1,814,400 3,628,800 45 90

5.) A work softball team has 15 players on its roster. There are 9 distinct positions in which these players can be placed. How many lineups can be fielded? A.) B.) C.) D.) 1,505,667,870 1,635,890 1,816,214,400 214,400

Combination Worksheet Solve the following combination problems. 1.) From a group of 8 people, 5 will each win $1,000. How many different winning groups are possible? A.) B.) C.) D.) 56 6720 168 336

2.) Of a classroom filled with 20 students, 2 will be selected to stay after school and correct homework for extra credit. How many combinations are possible? A.) B.) C.) D.) 190 210 63 40

3.) To win the lottery, one must correctly select 6 numbers from a collection of 50 numbers (one through 50). The order in which the selection is made does not matter. How many different selections are possible? A.) B.) C.) D.) 250 15,890,700 300 13,983,816

4.) A test is administered with 15 questions. Students are allowed to answer any ten. How many choices of ten questions are there? A.) B.) C.) D.) 150 250 3003 3000

Answer Sheet for Permutation and Combination Problems Permutations 1.) B 2.) A 3.) A 4.) D 5.) C Combinations 1.) A 2.) A 3.) B 4.) C

Difference Between Permutations and Combinations In the following exercises determine whether the problem involves permutations or combinations. It is not necessary to solve the problem. 1.) A record club offers a choice of 9 records from a list of 60. In how many ways can a member make a selection? A.) Permutations, because the order of the records selected does matter. B.) Combinations, because the order of the records selected does not matter. 2.) One hundred people purchase lottery tickets. Three winning tickets will be selected at random. If first prize is $100, second prize is $50, and third prize is $10, in how many different ways can the prizes be awarded? A.) Permutations, because the order of the selected winning tickets does matter. B.) Combinations, because the order of the selected winning tickets does not matter. 3.) How many different 4 letter user IDs can be formed from the letters D, A, N, Y if no repetition of letters is allowed? A.) Permutations, because the order of the letters selected does matter. B.) Combinations, because the order of the letters selected does not matter. 4.) Seven of a sample of 150 computers will be selected and tested. How many ways are there to make this selection? A.) Permutations, because the order of the computers selected does matter. B.) Combinations, because the order of the computers selected does not matter.

Difference Between Permutations and Combinations Answer Sheet 1.) B 2.) A 3.) A 4.) B