document.write( "Question 960965: The instructions say \"indicate whether each situation involves a combination or permutation. Then solve.\" I'm having trouble telling which is which. The first one is \"how many ways are there to select five actors from a troupe of nine to improvise a scene?\" Once I know which it is, I'll be able to solve it, but I can't tell whether it's a combination or permutation. Thanks!! \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #587266 by mathluva(1) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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With combinations the order does not matter whereaas with permutations it does.
\n" ); document.write( "Some examples should make it clear.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "How many different combinations of 2 letters are there in the letters a,b,c,d and e.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "we have 10 : - (a,b) , (a,c) (a,d) (a,e) (b,c),(b,d), (b,e) (c,d) (c,e) (d,e)\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "- the order of each pair does not matter - we could write (a,b) as (b,a).\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Howevet permations do require order to matter - so there are 20 permutations of 2 in the 5 letters.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The 5 actors in a group of 9 you mentioned are combinations - nothing is said about the order of each group of 5. \n" ); document.write( "

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