document.write( "Question 937649: diffrence between combination and permutatio \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #571314 by Edwin McCravy(20056)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! \r\n" ); document.write( "The number of PERMUTATIONS of 5 things taken 3 at a time is 60.\r\n" ); document.write( "The number of COMBINATIONS of 5 things taken 3 at a time is 10.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Here's why. Look at the array below. There are 60 things (3-letter\r\n" ); document.write( "sequences) below but only 10 columns. The 60 things are the 60 \r\n" ); document.write( "permutations. The 10 columns represent the 10 combinations.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10\r\n" ); document.write( "ABC ABD ABE ACD ACE ADE BCD BCE BDE CDE\r\n" ); document.write( "ACB ADB AEB ADC AEC AED BDC BEC BED CED\r\n" ); document.write( "BAC BAD BAE CAD CAE DAE CBD CBE DBE DEC\r\n" ); document.write( "BCA BDA BEA CDA CEA DEA CDB CEB DEB DCE\r\n" ); document.write( "CAB DAB EAB DAC EAC EAD DBC EBC EBD ECD\r\n" ); document.write( "CBA DBA EBA DCA ECA EDA DCB ECB EDB EDC\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "For instance, take column 7. {BCD,BDC,CBD,CDB,DBC,DCB}.\r\n" ); document.write( "If you consider all 6 of these as the same thing, then you \r\n" ); document.write( "are talking about a COMBINation, because the order of the \r\n" ); document.write( "three letters B, C, and D does not matter to you, i.e., \r\n" ); document.write( "BDC is the same as DCB or CDB. But if you consider BDC, DCB \r\n" ); document.write( "and CDB are three different things, then you are talking about \r\n" ); document.write( "PERMUTations.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "If changing only the order of a group makes a different situation, \r\n" ); document.write( "then you are talking about permutations. But if changing the order\r\n" ); document.write( "does not make a different situation, you are talking about \r\n" ); document.write( "combinations. \r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "If order matters, you are talking PERMUTATIONS. If order doesn't \r\n" ); document.write( "matter, you are talking COMBINATIONS.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Edwin\n" ); document.write( " |