SOLUTION: "There are 12 food items on a dinner table. Suppose a person is allowed to get only 8 food items. How many ways can the person choose?"
I am kind of confused if this is a permut
Algebra.Com
Question 1179508: "There are 12 food items on a dinner table. Suppose a person is allowed to get only 8 food items. How many ways can the person choose?"
I am kind of confused if this is a permutation or a combination problem - my first answer is in combination: 12C8 = 495. But I am not sure if this is correct.
It would mean a lot if someone could correct me or confirm this, I have trouble determining if a problem is in permutation or combination. Thank you!
Answer by ikleyn(52780) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.
The rule and the way to distinct between permutations and combinations is THIS:
- if the order in selections DOES matter, then the selections are PERMUTATIONS.
- if the order in selections DOES NOT matter, then the selections are COMBINATIONS.
Regarding this problem, is something in the text or in the context, that makes the order important ?
I do not see any signs of it NEITHER in the text, NOR in the context.
So, I conclude that the problem is about COMBINATIONS.
----------------
On permutations and combinations, see introductory lessons
- Introduction to Permutations
- PROOF of the formula on the number of Permutations
- Simple and simplest problems on permutations
- Special type permutations problems
- Introduction to Combinations
- PROOF of the formula on the number of Combinations
- Problems on Combinations
in this site.
Also, you have this free of charge online textbook in ALGEBRA-II in this site
- ALGEBRA-II - YOUR ONLINE TEXTBOOK.
The referred lessons are the part of this online textbook under the topic "Combinatorics: Combinations and permutations".
Save the link to this textbook together with its description
Free of charge online textbook in ALGEBRA-II
https://www.algebra.com/algebra/homework/complex/ALGEBRA-II-YOUR-ONLINE-TEXTBOOK.lesson
into your archive and use when it is needed.
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