Permutations and Combinations

Questions Exercise 1A Permutations (1) (2) In how many different ways can eight cats be placed in eight cages in a cattery? A lottery needs to form three-digit numbers from the set {2,3, 4, 6, 7} . How many three-digit numbers can they form if (a) the numbers are all different, and (b) the numbers are all the same?

(3) (4)

What is the total number of permutations of seven books on a shelf? We need to form numbers greater than 5000 from the whole numbers 1, 3, 6 and 8. Each number can only be used once. How many solutions are there to the problem? In a district in Beijing the telephone numbers have eight digits in them, and the first digit cannot be a zero. What is the greatest possible number of separate telephone lines in this district? In a word game letters are arranged from the word WATCHDOG. What is the greatest number of arrangements of words if (a) the first letter must be a vowel; (b) the last letter must be a consonant; (c) the letters W and A cannot be separated from each other? A mysterious bag contains three red balls, three blue balls and three green balls. The balls are drawn from the bag. In how many ways can three balls be drawn if (a) they have all a different colour: (b) they have all the same colour? In how many different ways can twelve knights be seated at the Round Table? Six-digit numbers will be made from the set {1, 2,3, 4,5, 6, 7,8,9} . How many different numbers are possible if (a) the digits are all different; (b) the digits are all identical; (c) the digits are all different, but the number is less than 600,000? Eight youths are standing in a circle at an investiture of a new scout. In how many different ways can these youths be arranged in the ceremonial circle? A Renaissance scholar has succeeded in collecting three works by Plato, and four by Aristotle. He placed them on his shelf. In how many different ways

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8) (9)

(10) (11)

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could he arrange these great classical works if (a) the works by Plato must all be together; (b) the works by Plato must be separated?
(12)

A lady bought a bracelet with eight different coloured beads strung on it. The beads could be removed by means of a clasp and replaced. Having nothing better to do with her time, she amused herself by removing the beads and replacing them until she had exhausted every possible permutation of the beads. She was so delighted with it and turned it around and around. In how many different ways could she arrange the beads on the bracelet? From the digits 2, 5, 7 and 8, how many whole numbers between 4000 and 7000 can be found in which the digits are all different? Eight compact discs are to be placed into a CD changer. In how many different ways can the eight discs be arranged if (a) one particular disc has to start or finish the sequence; (b) if one particular disc must follow another?

(13) (14)

Exercise 1A Solutions

(1)

There are eight ways of choosing the first cat; seven ways of choosing the second, and so forth, so the answer is
8!

(2)

(a)

If the numbers are all different, this is the number of permutations of three objects from a set of five; that is
5

P3 =

5! = 5 4 3 = 60 2!

(b) If the numbers are all the same, then this is equivalent to choosing one number from a set of 5; that is, just 5. (3) (4) 7! If the number is greater than 5000, then the first digit must be either a 6 or an 8, so there are 2 ways of choosing the first digit. Once that digit is chosen, then there are 3 ways of choosing the second digit, and 2 ways of choosing the third digit; finally, the last digit is determined if the other 3 digits have been chosen. So the answer is

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2 3! 2 = 24

(5)

The first digit can be chosen in 9 different ways. The digits can be repeated, so thereafter there are 10 digits that can be chosen for the other 7 digits in the number. The answer is
9 (10 ) = 90, 000, 000
7

(6)

(a)

The word WATCHDOG has 2 vowels, 6 consonants and 8 letters in all. If the first letter must be a vowel, then there are 2 ways in which this can be chosen. Thereafter the letters can be chosen in 7, then 6, then 5 ways and so forth, so the answer is
2 7!

(b)

There are 6 ways to pick the last consonant, and thereafter the other 7 letters can be chosen freely.
6 7!

(c)

Since the W and A cannot be separated we begin by treating them as a single choice, thus reducing the number of choices to 7 letters. This gives 7! permutations. However, for each of these permutations either the W could precede the A or the A could precede the W. That is each permutation of the 7 letters gives rise to 2 permutations of the 8 letters; so the answer is
2 7!

(7)

(a)

This is really just the problem of choosing a permutation of three colours from three colours, so the answer is 3!

(b)

This is the problem of choosing just one colour from three; so the answer is 3

(8)

The permutations of 12 objects is 12! However, since the knights are at the Round Table, then we have to divide by 12, since each knight would have the same two knights on his left or his right regardless of which of the 12 seats he was sitting in.

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12! = 11! 12

(9)

(a)

This is the permutation of six objects from nine; hence

9

P6 =

9! = 60480 3!

(b)

This is the problem of choosing one digit from nine 9

(c)

If the number is less than 600,000 then the first digit must be a 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. So there are 5 ways of choosing the first digit, and thereafter each of the remaining 5 digits can be chosen in 9 ways; so the answer is
5 (9)
5

(10)

This is as per question (8)

8! = 7! 8

(11)

(a)

Firstly, there are 3! permutations of the works by Plato and 4! permutations of the works by Aristotle. This gives 3! 4! permutations. However, the works by Plato could can all come in a block in one of 5 different positions.
PPPAAAA APPPAAAA AAPPPAA AAAPPPA AAAAPPP

The final answer is

5 3! 4! = 3! 5!

(b)

As before there are 3! permutations of the works by Plato, and 4! permutations of the works by Aristotle. Now we investigate how the works by Plato can be separated. Denote a work by Plato as P and a work by Aristotle by A, then one possible solution is
P A P A P A A

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We can see that there are two others

A A P A A P P A A P P A A P

So the answer is
3 3! 4!

(12)

This is like the Knights of the Round Table question; so she has initially
8! = 7! 8

permutations of the beads. But there is an additional complication; she can turn the bracelet over; thus, each for each of these permutations there is really a twin. The final answer is
7! 2

(13)

To obtain a number between 4000 and 7000 the first digit must be the 5; thereafter, the digits are freely chosen
1 3! = 3!

(14)

(a)

One CD is chosen, but it could be either at the beginning or end of the stack; thereafter there are seven CDs to pick from
2 7!

(b)

Take the two CDs that must come together as a single choice; the number of permutations is now 7! However, for each of these the CDs could be in two different orders, so the answer is
2 7!

Copyright Blacksacademy September 2001