QR question about permutation and combination

[NavyDDS1990]

---

Members don't see this ad.

When solving problems for permutations and combination, how would you figure out if order does or does not matter?
I would greatly appreciate your help with a few examples!

Thanks!

 

[whitepapertree]

Chad had a pretty good explanation, but you can also find it here basically http://www.regentsprep.org/regents/math/algtrig/ats5/lcomb.htm

It's kind of one of those things you'll pick up as you get used to it. There's a few examples on that site.

 

[virtualmaster999]

Order usually matters in things like "how many different ways can you do something". Ex: people standing in line, different title positions (President, VP, treasurer...), people going through different rooms.

Combinations are then where it wouldnt matter. Things like the books you choose in a set (obviously if you pick Book A before Book B, it doesnt matter), how many people you can bring to a ballgame (doesnt matter if Matt, John, Bill went or Bill, John, Matt....same people!!)

Just some examples I thought off the top of my head!

 

[NavyDDS1990]

Thanks a lot guys!

 

[DAT Destroyer]

When solving problems for permutations and combination, how would you figure out if order does or does not matter?
I would greatly appreciate your help with a few examples!

Thanks!

To solve these type of problems, read the question carefully.
For example: how many ways you can 3 people out of 10 finish a race?
This is a combination.

If the question were: how many ways can 3 people finish a race 1st, 2nd and third?
This is now a permutation since the order in which the 3 players finish a race is important.

Hope this helps..