document.write( "Question 1113913: what is the difference between nCk and nPk \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #728960 by Theo(13342)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
nCk is the combination formula.
\n" ); document.write( "nPk is the permutation formula.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "combination formula does not take order into consideration.
\n" ); document.write( "permutation formula does.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "combination formula is nCk = n! / (k! * (n-k)!)\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "permutation formula is nPk - n! / (n-k)!.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "that k! in the denominator of the nCk formula is what removes consideration of order within each set.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "here's a simple example:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "consider the set {abcd}\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "n = 4
\n" ); document.write( "k = 2\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "this means you want to get all possible sets of 2 elements each from a set of 4 elements.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "4C2 = 4! / (2! * 2!) = 6\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "4P2 = 4! / 2! = 12\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "4C2 sets would be:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "ab
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "4P2 sets would be:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "ab
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "ba
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "the 4C2 results consider ab and ba as members of the same set, since order doesn't matter within each set.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "the 4P2 results consider ab as one set and ba as another separate set, since order within the set does matter.\r
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