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Permutation & Combination (P&C) - Formulas & Shortcuts

1. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPAL OF COUNTING

e.g.

P to R (P to Q and Q to R)
Q to P or R

3
3

PRINCIPAL OF MULTIPLICATION:

4
4

=
=

12
7

PRINCIPAL OF ADDITION:

a) AND suggests the use of Multiplication and shows that

more than one operation has to be performed at a time. It
also gives the idea that there should be one starting point
and one end point.

b) OR suggests the use of Addition and shows that exactly

one operation has to be performed at a time out of the given
set of all the possible operations.

Multiplication
If an event can occur in m different ways, and following
which another event can occur in n different ways, then the
total number of occurrence of the events in the given order
is m n
E.g. In a class of 10 Boys & 8 Girls, in how many ways,
We can form a Couple (a Boy & a Girl)
10 8 = 80

Addition
If an event can occur in m different ways, or another event can
occur in n different ways, then the total number of occurrence
of the events in the given order is m n

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Monitor (a Boy or a Girl)

10 + 8 = 18 e

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2. PERMUTATION
A permutation is an arrangement in a definite order of a
number of objects taken some or all at a time.
(i)

c) Number of selection of k consecutive things out of n

things in a circle = n, when k < n
= 1,

when k = n

Linear Arrangement

a) Number of permutations of n distinct objects among r

different places, where repetition is not allowed, is P(n,r)
n
Pr = n!
(0 < r n)
(n-r)!

(iii) Polygon Arrangement

a) Number of ways to arrange n distinct objects along the
sides of a r sided regular polygon with every side having
n/r objects = n!/r

b) Number of permutations of n distinct objects among r

different places, where repetition is allowed, is nr

b) If the polygon is not regular, then the number of

arrangements will be just n!

c) Number of permutations of n objects in which p objects are

alike of one kind, q are alike of second, r are alike of third
and so on and remaining are of different kind, and where
repetition is not allowed, is
=
n!
(where, p+q+r n)
p! q! r! ...

c) If n people are to be arranged around a rectangular table,

such that there are equal number of people on each side of
the table, then total number of arrangements will be n!/2

d) Number of permutations of n objects, when all of them are

identical = n!/n! = 1

(iv) Dearrangement
Number of arrangements of n distinct things in a row, such
that none of them occupies its original place is
= n! [1/0! 1/1! + 1/2! 1/3!+. + (-1)n/n!]

(ii) Circular Arrangement

a) Number of ways to arrange n distinct objects on n places
around a circle = (n 1)!
b) Number of arrangements of n beads for forming a necklace
= (n-1)!/2
(In case of the necklace or garland, anticlockwise and
clockwise arrangements are same)

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Dearr.(2) = 1, Dearr.(3) = 2, Dearr.(4) = 9, Dearr.(5) = 44

(v) Miscellaneous
a) Number of ways 4 different letters can be posted in 7
different letter boxes = 47
b) Number of ways n identical things can be arranged
among r different places = rn

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e.g. Number of ways 4 identical rings can be worn in 5
fingers of a hand = 54
c) Number of ways n different things can be arranged
among r different places = (n + r 1)!/(r 1)!
e.g. Number of ways 4 different rings can be worn in 5
fingers of a hand = 5 6 7 8
d) Sum of all r digit numbers formed by using each of the
given n non-zero distinct digits exactly once (no
repetition)
= (Sum of all the digits) (1111 r times) nPr-1
e) Sum of all r digit numbers formed by using each of the
given n non-zero distinct digits (with repetition)
= (Sum of all the digits) (1111 r times) nr-1

3. COMBINATION
A combination is a selection, in no definite order, of a number
of objects taken some or all at a time.
a) Number of combinations of n distinct objects taken r at a
time, where repetition is not allowed, is C(n,r)
n
Cr =
n!
(0 r n)
(n-r)! r!
b) Number of combinations of n distinct objects among r
different places, where repetition is allowed, is n+r-1Cr

Also the whole number solutions of equation,

(x + y + z + (r variables) = n) = n+r-1Cr-1
d) Number of combinations or distributions of n identical objects
among r different places such that each place gets atleast 1 is
n-1
Cr-1
Also the natural number solutions of equation,
(x + y + z + (r variables) = n) = n-1Cr-1
e) Number of selections out of n distinct objects
= (Select None) + (Select One) + (Select Two)
= nC0 + nC1 + nC2 + + nCn = 2n
f) Number of ways in which a selection can be made by taking
some or all out of p + q + r + things where p are alike of one
kind, q alike of second, r alike of third and so on is
(p+1)(q+1)(r+1) - 1
g) Number of zero or more selections out of n same objects
= 1 + 1 + 1 + + 1 = n + 1
h) Number of one or more selections out of n same objects
= 1 + 1 + 1 + + 1 = n
i) Number of lines in a plane formed by n points (where no three
points are collinear) = nC2
j) Number of diagonals in a regular polygon = nC2 n
k) Number of triangles formed in a plane using n points (where
no three points are collinear) = nC3

c) Number of combinations or distributions of n identical

objects among r different places is n+r-1Cr-1

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Formulae related to Combination
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)

C0 = 1 = nCn
n
C1 = n = nCn-1
n
Cn-r = nCr
n
Ca = nCb
a+b=n
n
n
n+1
Cr + Cr-1 = Cr
n
C0 + nC1 + nC2 + + nCn-1 + nCn = 2n
n
C0 + nC2 + nC4 + = nC1 + nC3 + nC5 + = 2n-1

4. RELATION BETWEEN P&C

Pr = nCr r!

6. GRID
a) Number of Squares in a square grid of n n side = 12 +
22 + 32 + 42 ++ n2
b) Number of Rectangles (including Squares) in a square
grid of n n side = 13 + 23 + 33 + 43 ++ n3
c) Number of Squares in a grid having m rows and n
columns = m n + (m-1) (n-1) + (m-2) (n-2) +
(until one of them gets zero)
d) Number of Rectangles (including Squares) in a grid
having m rows and n columns = (1 + 2 + 3 ++ m) (1 +
2 + 3 ++ n)

5. GROUPING & DISTRIBUTION

a) Number of ways in which n distinct objects can be

distributed equally among r people = n!
[(n/r)!]r
b) Number of ways in which n things can be divided into
groups of p, q, r things =
n!
(n = p + q + r)
p! q! r!...

A
e) Number of shortest paths from A to B (going only right
and upward)

c) Number of ways in which n distinct objects can be

distributed equally among r groups

[Number of Rows = m (=5) & Number of Columns = n

(=4)]

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n!
[(n/r)!]r

(if groups are distinct)

n!
(if groups are not distinct)
r
r! [(n/r)!]

= (m + n)! = (9)!/ 5! 4! = 9C4 = 9C5

m! n!

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