document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1094501>Question 1094501</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\">  A certain committee consists of <BR>\n" );
document.write( "18<BR>\n" );
document.write( " people. From the committee, a president, a vice-president, and a treasurer are to be chosen. In how many ways can these <BR>\n" );
document.write( "3<BR>\n" );
document.write( " offices be filled? Assume that a committee member can hold at most one of these offices. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #709101 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><B>greenestamps(13200)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=greenestamps><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=709101\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <br>This is a simple application of the fundamental counting principle.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "There are 18 choices for the first officer chosen; it doesn't matter which office it is.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Then there are 17 choices left for the second officer chosen; then there are 16 choices left for the third officer chosen.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "So the number of ways the offices can be filled is<BR>\n" );
document.write( "18*17*16<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Clearly, this is the permutation 18P3.  However, I see too many students who think every problem like this is purely either a combination or a permutation, so I encourage you to think of it simply as an application of the fundamental counting principle. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );