TOPIC 2 COMBINATIONS

taken r at a time to solve problems. [C, PS, R, V]

MATH 30-1 CLASS BOOKLET V

Alberta Ed Learning Outcome: Determine the number of combinations of n different elements

Explore 1 Lets go (way) back to the restaurant breakfast special for this. Suppose the special also includes any two drinks from the following options:
bottled water coffee tea orange juice fruit smoothie

1. Complete the following list every possible option for drinks. coffee, tea coffee, water

2. Does the order matter here? (Is selecting water, tea and different than tea, water?)

3. How many selections of two drinks are there, from five possible drinks?

4. Consider the problem how many arrangements of two objects are there, from five possible objects? ? Find the answer using permutations, How does that result compare to your answer from #3?

5. Put the expression 5 ?

2 in your calculator and evaluate. How does the value of

compare to that of

Explore 2 Scenario 1: A teacher needs to choose a class president, class vice-president, and class treasurer from a group of four students Ava, Barack, Celine, and Dong. The following list shows all of her options. A,B,C A,C,B A,B,D A,D,B A,C.D A,D.C B,A,C B,C,A B,C,D B,D,C B,A,D B,D,A C,A,B C,B,A C,A,D C,D,A C,B,D C,D,B D,A,B D,B,A D,B,C D,C,B D,A,C D,C,A 1. Does order matter here? How can you determine the number of ways can she do this using the FCP?

2. Using

Scenario 2: Suppose instead the teacher needs to select any three student council members from the same group of four. Below is the same list showing all possible arrangements of three students from the four possible. A,B,C A,C,B A,B,D A,D,B A,C.D A,D.C B,A,C B,C,A B,C,D B,D,C B,A,D B,D,A C,A,B C,B,A C,A,D C,D,A C,B,D C,D,B D,A,B D,B,A D,B,C D,C,B D,A,C D,C,A 3. Does order matter here? Cross out any redundant groups of three from the re-printed table. How many unique groups of three students are there?

4. How does your answer to question 3 compare to your previous answer / when order mattered?

As weve seen before, scenario 1 is an example of permutations, as order matters / we are arranging students. Scenario 2, on the other hand, is an example of ________________, since ______________________________.

Explore 3 Refer back to the previous explore scenario 2. Suppose the group of three students had to include Ava. How many distinct groups would be possible now? (List them and calculate using the combinations formula)

Connect Permutations involve arrangements of objects (letters, numbers, fruits, people) where order matters. For example, the group of numbers 5, 10, 15 and 10, 15, 5 represent two different permutations. Combinations involve selections of objects where order does not matter. So now 5, 10, 15 and 5, 10, 15 represents the same combination of numbers, written twice!

Key Concept

The number of combinations of of permutations.

objects, taken at a time is less than the number

If a perms and combs problem have the same

and , then nPr > nCr

Given the same s and s, the number of combs is the number of perms, divided by the redundancy. (That is, ways any particular comb can be arranged) On formula sheet: That is: nCr

Example: Given a group of 5 people, Al, Bob, Christy, Dom, and Eve the number of ways we can:
Select any two of them to pass out tests is:
5C 2

Arrange any 2 of them into two desks is:

5P2

Number of COMBS of two people

Is number of PERMS of two people, divided by ( )

2-person COMBS, from 5 people A, B A, C A, D A, E B, A B, C B, D B, E C, A C, B C, D C, E D, A D, B D, C D, E E, A E, B E, C E, D

Greyed-outs are redundant when countin combs.

2-person PERMS, from 5 people A, B A, C A, D A, E B, A B, C B, D B, E C, A C, B C, D C, E D, A D, B D, C D, E E, A E, B E, C E, D

10 unique combinations. Order doesnt matter

20 unique permutations Since each of the 10 combinations can be arranged ways

Number of combinations = Number of permutations

Redundancy
, number of ways each comb can be arranged

Perms v Combs! Something you probably use every day is a combination lock. Suppose after a particularly late night of studying, you forgot your combination. But you were pretty sure the 3-number combo used some variation of the numbers 5, 10, 15, or maybe 20. What is the maximum number of attempts youd need to crack that baby open?

AT LEAST type problems Many combinations problems involve considering multiple cases. For example, suppose a teacher with a class of 30 ambitious math students announces that hell bring them all pie if at least 20 of them get a B or better on their Combinatorics test. We can break this down into cases. AT LEAST 20 students (out of 30) means: 20 or 21 or 22 or 23 or . or 29 or 30
For At least type problems, break down into specific cases
There are 11 specific cases here!

Key Concept

Know your formula sheet!

Practice 1. Decide whether each of the following is a PERMS or COMBS question. Then solve it! (a) In a volleyball league with 7 teams, every team must play the other once. How many games would need to be scheduled?

(b) A circle has five points marked on it. How many unique triangles can be formed?

(c) In a class of 15 students, a teacher needs four volunteers to move a table. How many ways can she select the four students?

(d) A teacher needs four volunteers for a class demo. One student will ask her fellow students questions, one will record the results, one will put the results on a chart, and the final student will report on the results back to the class. How many unique ways can the teacher do this, if the class has 15 students?

(e) From a committee of 9 people, a 3-person sub-committee must be formed. How many ways can this be done?

(f) From a committee of 9 people, a sub-committee must be formed consisting of a chairperson, vice-chair, and secretary. How many ways can this be done?

(g) A standard deck of 52 cards contains 13 of each suit. (Suits are Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades) Given a five-card hand, how many ways can a hearts flush be dealt? (Flush means all five cards are the same
suit)

(h) How many 3-letter words are possible using the letters in the word MATH?

(i) A car lot has 22 different new cars for sale. How many ways can a car rental agency purchase 10 of them?

(j) A car rental agency has 11 different cars available on-site. Ricardo, Beth, and Kidist walk in, each wanting to rent a car. How many different ways can three cars be rented to these customers?

2. Use the formula for nCr to evaluate each, then check using the nCr function on your calculator. (a) 8C5 (b) 4C3

3. Algebraically solve each equation: (a)

(b)

4. List all possible permutations and combinations of A, B, and C taken two at a time. Demonstrate the relationship between the number of perms and the number of combs.

5. Hugo reaches into his pocket and finds a loony, a quarter, a dime, a nickel, and a penny. How many different sums of money could he make?

6. A pizza shop has 15 choices of toppings. They are having a special where any four-topping pizza is available for $14.99. How many options does a customer have, if one of the toppings must be anchovies?

7. The girls in a small math class consist of Melanie, Sandeep, Bianca, Amy, Maria, Chandra, and Janice. (a) How many groups can be formed consisting of exactly 4 females?

(b) How many smaller groups of 4 can be formed if Melanie must be in the group?

(c) How many smaller groups of 4 can be formed if Amy and Maria cant both be in any one group? (Theyre fighting)

(d) How many groups can be formed that consist of at least four females?

8. A class consists of 8 boys and 10 girls. How many ways can a class student council be formed if: (a) There must be exactly 2 boys and 2 girls in the council.

(b) There must be exactly 2 boys / 2 girls and a particularly brainy student Jefferson must be on the council.

(c) (For this one forget the 2 boys / 2 girls requirement. Start fresh!) There must be at least 1 girl on the council.

9. From a standard 52-card deck, five cards are randomly selected. How many distinct hands are possible?

10. Refer back to the previous question. (a) How many five-card hands would consist of 3 Kings and 2 Queens? (b) How many five-card hands would consist of a flush? (c) How many five-card hands would include 4 aces? (d) How many five-card hands would have at least two deuces? (two deuces, or three deuces, and so on)

Mixed Questions (Could be perms or combs) 11.

Diploma Example

12.

Diploma Example

13.

Diploma Example

14.

Diploma Example

SE How many different 4-letter arrangements are possible using any 2 letters from the word SMILE and any 2 letters from the word FROG?

15.

Diploma Example

In a group of 9 people, there are four females and five males. Determine the number of fourmember committees consisting of at least one female that can be formed.

16.

Diploma Example

In a group of 9 people, there are four females and five males. A four-member committee must be chosen that consists of a chairperson, a vice-chair, and two regular members. How many such committees can be chosen?