Counting Techniques

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 Possibility trees
and Multiplication Rule
 Example:
When buying a PC system, you have the choice of
 3 models of the basic unit: B1, B2, B3 ;
 2 models of keyboard: K1, K2 ;
 2 models of printer: P1, P2 .
 Question:
How many distinct systems can be purchased?

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 The Multiplication Rule
If an operation consists of k steps and
 the 1st step can be performed in n1 ways,
 the 2nd step can be performed in n2 ways
(regardless of how the 1st step was performed) ,
….
 the kth step can be performed in nk ways
(regardless of how the preceding steps were performed) ,
then the entire operation can be performed
in n1 ∙ n2 ∙… ∙ nk ways.
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 Possibility trees and Multiplication Rule
Example(cont.): The possibility tree:

Start
Select the B1 B2 B3
basic unit
K1 K2 K1 K2 K1 K2
Select the P1 P2 P1 P2 P1 P2 P1 P2 P1 P2 P1 P2
keyboard

Select the
printer

The number of distinct systems is: 3∙2∙2=12

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 Multiplication Rule (Example)
 A PIN is a sequence of any 4 digits (repetitions
allowed); e.g., 5279, 4346, 0270.
 Question. How many different PINs are possible?
 Solution. Choosing a PIN is a 4-step operation:
 Step 1: Choose the 1st symbol (10 different ways).
 Step 2: Choose the 2nd symbol (10 different ways).
 Step 3: Choose the 3rd symbol (10 different ways).
 Step 4: Choose the 4th symbol (10 different ways).
Based on the multiplication rule,
10∙10∙10∙10 = 10,000 PINs are possible.
 Multiplication Rule (Example)
Consider the problem of choosing PINs
but now repetitions are not allowed.
 Question. How many different PINs are possible?
 Solution. Choosing a PIN is a 4-step operation:
 Step 1: Choose the 1st symbol (10 different ways).
 Step 2: Choose the 2nd symbol (9 different ways).
 Step 3: Choose the 3rd symbol (8 different ways).
 Step 4: Choose the 4th symbol (7 different ways).
Based on the multiplication rule,
10∙9∙8∙7 = 5,040 PINs are possible. 6
Example 1

Registrants at large convention are

offered 6 sight seeing tours on each
3 days. In how many ways can a
person arrange to go on tours?

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Example 2
A college freshman must take a science
course, a humanities course and
mathematics course. If she may select any
of 6 science courses, any of 4 humanities
and any of 4 mathematics courses, how
many ways can she arrange her program?

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Example 3
If a multiple choice test consist of 5
questions each with 4 possible answers
which only one is correct,
a. How many different ways can a student
check off one answer to each question?
b. How many ways can a student check off
one answer to each and get all the
questions wrong?

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How many 3-digit numbers can be formed from the
digits 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 9, which are divisible by 5 and
none of the digits is repeated?

Since each desired number is divisible by 5, so we must have 5

at the unit place. So, there is 1 way of doing it.

The tens place can now be filled by any of the remaining 5

digits (2, 3, 6, 7, 9). So, there are 5 ways of filling the tens
place.

The hundreds place can now be filled by any of the remaining 4

digits. So, there are 4 ways of filling it.

Required number of numbers = (1 x 5 x 4) = 20.

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 Permutations
 A permutation of a set of objects
is an ordering of the objects in a row.
• Example: The permutations of {a,b,c}:
abc acb bac bca cab cba
 Theorem. For any integer n with n≥1,
the number of permutations of a set with n
elements is n! .
 Proof. Forming a permutation is an n-step operation:
 Step 1: Choose the 1st element ( n different ways).
 Step 2: Choose the 2nd element ( n-1 different ways).
…
 Step n: Choose the nth element (1 way).
Based on the multiplication rule,
the number of permutations is n∙(n-1)∙…∙2∙1 = n!
Theorem. For any integer n with
n≥1, the number of permutations
of a set with n elements taken r at
a time is

nPr=

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Example 1

Two lottery tickets are drawn

from 20 for first and second
prizes. Find the number of
sample points.
Answer: 20P2

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 In a certain country, the car number
plate is formed by 4 digits from the digits
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 followed by 3
letters from the alphabet. How many
number plates can be formed if neither the
digits nor the letters are repeated?

Answer: 9P4 * 26P3

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The simplest protein molecule in biology is called
vasopressin and is composed of 8 amino acids that
are chemically bound together in a particular order.
The order in which these amino acids occur is of vital
importance to the proper functioning of vasopressin. If
these 8 amino acids were placed in a hat and drawn
out randomly one by one, how many different
arrangements of these 8 amino acids are possible?

Solution: Let A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H symbolize the 8 amino

acids. They must fill 8 slots ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___ .
There are 8 choices for the first position, leaving 7
choices for the second slot, 6 choices for the third slot
and so on. The number of different orderings is
8(7)(6)(5)(4)(3)(2)(1)=8! =40,320.

Answer: 8P8 15
In how many different ways can the letters of the
word 'OPTICAL‘ be arranged so that the vowels
always come together?
The word 'OPTICAL' contains 7 different letters.
When the vowels OIA are always together, they
can be supposed to form one letter.

Then, we have to arrange the letters PTCL

(OIA).

Now, 5 letters can be arranged in 5! = 120

ways.

The vowels (OIA) can be arranged among

themselves in 3! = 6 ways.

Required number of ways = (120 x 6) = 720.

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Circular permutation

Theorem
The number of permutations of
n distinct objects arranged in a
circle is (n-1)!.

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Example 1
In how many ways can 5
different trees be planted in a
circle?

(5 – 1)! = 24

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 In how many ways can five people A, B, C, D, and
E be seated around a circular table if:

a) A and B must sit next to each other?

There are 4 groups – AB, C, D, E.
( 4 – 1)! = 3!
Then we must take into account that A and B can switch places:
3! 2! = 6 (2) = 12
b) A and B must not sit next to each other?
We can consider the total number of ways five people can sit at a
circular table and then subtract the number of ways two people can sit
together as found in the first part of this question:
(5 – 1)! – 12 = 4! – 12
= 24 – 12
= 12
c) A and B must be together and C and D must be together?
There are 3 groups: AB, CD and E. Take into account that AB and CD
can switch places:
2! 2! 2! = 8
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Theorem

The number of distinct

permutation of n things of which
n1 are one of a kind n2 of a
second kind, …., nk of a kth kind
is
n!
(n1 n2 nk )
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Example 1
How many distinct permutation can be
made from the letters of the word
MISSISSIPPI?
m=1 i=4 s= 4 p= 2
n= 11
11!
4! x 4! x 2! x 1!

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In how many different ways can the letters of the word
'MATHEMATICS' be arranged so that the vowels always
come together?

In the word 'MATHEMATICS', we treat the vowels AEAI as one letter.

Thus, we have MTHMTCS (AEAI).

Now, we have to arrange 8 letters, out of which M occurs twice, T occurs twice
and the rest are different.

Number of ways of 8!
= 10080.
arranging these letters = (2!)(2!)

Now, AEAI has 4 letters in which A occurs 2 times and

the rest are different.
Number of ways of arranging 4!
= 12.
these letters = 2!

Required number of words = (10080 x 12) = 120960.

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Combinations
The number of combinations of n distinct
taken r at a time is

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Difference of Permutation and
Combination
• For example, let us say balls 1, 2 and 3
were chosen. These are the possibilites:

Order does matter Order doesn't matter

132
213
231 123
312
321
123

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 A committee including 3 boys and 4
girls is to be formed from a group of 10
boys and 12 girls. How many different
committee can be formed from the group?

Answer: 10C3 * 12C4

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In how many ways a committee,
consisting of 5 men and 6 women
can be formed from 8 men and 10
women?
Required
number of = (8C5 x 10C
6)
ways

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 In a group of 6 boys and 4 girls, four
children are to be selected. In how many
different ways can they be selected such
that at least one boy should be there?

We may have (1 boy and 3 girls) or (2 boys and 2 girls) or (3 boys

and 1 girl) or (4 boys).

Required
number = (6C1 x 4C3) + (6C2 x 4C2) + (6C3 x 4C1) + (6C4)
of ways

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 From a group of 7 men and 6 women, five persons
are to be selected to form a committee so that at least 3
men are there on the committee. In how many ways can
it be done?

We may have (3 men and 2 women) or (4 men and 1

woman) or (5 men only).

• Required number of ways

(7C3 x 6C2) + (7C4 x 6C1) + (7C5)=756.

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 Eleven students put their names
on slips of paper inside a box. Three
names are going to be taken out.
How many different ways can the
three names be chosen?

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 In a class of 10 students, how many
ways can a club of 4 students be
arranged?

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