document.write( "Question 937649: diffrence between combination and permutatio \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #571314 by Edwin McCravy(20056)\"\" \"About 
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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" );
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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" );
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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" );
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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" );
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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" );
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document.write( "If order matters, you are talking PERMUTATIONS.  If order doesn't \r\n" );
document.write( "matter, you are talking COMBINATIONS.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin
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