Permutations (Cambridge O Level Additional Maths)

Revision Note

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Arrangements

How many ways can n different objects be arranged?

  • When arranging different objects in a row, consider how many of the objects can go in the first position, how many can go in the second and so on
    • For example, if n equals 2 there are two options for the first position and then there will only be one object left to go in the second position
      • So a total of 2 × 1 = 2 possible arrangements
      • To arrange the letters A and B we have
        • AB and BA
    • For example, if n equals 3 there are three options for the first position and then there will be two objects for the second position and one left to go in the third position
      • So a total of 3 × 2 × 1 = 6 possible arrangements
      • To arrange the letters A, B and C we have
          • ABC, ACB, BAC, BCA, CAB and CBA
  • For n objects there are n options for the first position, begin mathsize 16px style n minus 1 end style options for the second position and so on until there is only one object left to go in final position
    • The number of ways of arranging different objects is n cross times left parenthesis n minus 1 right parenthesis cross times left parenthesis n minus 2 right parenthesis cross times... cross times 2 cross times 1

Worked example

By considering the number of options there are for each letter to go into each position, find how many distinct arrangements there are of the letters in the word MATHS.   

There are 5 different letters in the word MATHS, so there are 5 letters for the first space, then there will be four for the second, three for the third and so on.  
 

5 cross times 4 cross times 3 cross times 2 cross times 1
 

120 distinct arrangements

Factorials

What are factorials?

  • Factorials are a type of mathematical operation (just like +, -, ×, ÷)
  • The symbol for factorial is !
    • So to take a factorial of any non-negative integer, n , it will be written n!  And pronounced ‘ n factorial’
  • The factorial function for any integer, n, is n factorial space equals space n space cross times left parenthesis n minus 1 right parenthesis cross times left parenthesis n minus 2 right parenthesis cross times... cross times 2 cross times 1
    • For example, 5 factorial is 5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1
  • The factorial of a negative number is not defined
    • You cannot arrange a negative number of items
  • 0! = 1
    • There are no positive integers less than zero, so zero items can only be arranged once
  • Most normal calculators cannot handle numbers greater than about 70!, experiment with yours to see the greatest value of x such that your calculator can handle x factorial

How are factorials and arrangements linked?

  • The number of arrangements of n different objects is n factorial
    • Where n factorial equals n cross times left parenthesis n minus 1 right parenthesis cross times left parenthesis n minus 2 right parenthesis cross times... cross times 2 cross times 1

What are the key properties of using factorials?

  • Some important relationships to be aware of are:
    • n factorial equals n cross times left parenthesis n minus 1 right parenthesis factorial
      • Therefore

fraction numerator n factorial over denominator left parenthesis n minus 1 right parenthesis factorial end fraction equals n

    • n factorial equals n cross times left parenthesis n minus 1 right parenthesis cross times left parenthesis n minus 2 right parenthesis factorial
      • Therefore

fraction numerator n factorial over denominator left parenthesis n minus 2 right parenthesis factorial end fraction equals n cross times left parenthesis n minus 1 right parenthesis

  • Expressions with factorials in can be simplified by considering which values cancel out in the fraction
    • Dividing a large factorial by a smaller one allows many values to cancel out

fraction numerator 7 factorial over denominator 4 factorial end fraction equals fraction numerator 7 cross times 6 cross times 5 cross times 4 cross times 3 cross times 2 cross times 1 over denominator 4 cross times 3 cross times 2 cross times 1 end fraction equals 7 cross times 6 cross times 5

Examiner Tip

  • Arrangements and factorials are tightly interlinked with permutations and combinations
  • Make sure you fully understand the concepts in this revision note as they will be fundamental to answering perms and combs exam questions!

Worked example

(i)
Show, by writing 8! and 5! in their full form and cancelling, that

fraction numerator 8 factorial over denominator 5 factorial end fraction equals 8 cross times 7 cross times 6

(ii)begin mathsize 16px style table row blank row blank end table end style
Hence, simplify  fraction numerator n factorial over denominator left parenthesis n minus 3 right parenthesis factorial end fraction

 

(i)   Write 5! and 8! in their full form. 
 

5 factorial space equals space 5 cross times 4 cross times 3 cross times 2 cross times 1

8 factorial space equals space 8 cross times 7 cross times 6 cross times 5 cross times 4 cross times 3 cross times 2 cross times 1
 

Write them as a fraction and cancel out common terms
 

fraction numerator 8 factorial over denominator 5 factorial end fraction equals fraction numerator 8 cross times 7 cross times 6 cross times 5 cross times 4 cross times 3 cross times 2 cross times 1 over denominator 5 cross times 4 cross times 3 cross times 2 cross times 1 end fraction

fraction numerator bold 8 bold factorial over denominator bold 5 bold factorial end fraction bold equals bold space bold 8 bold cross times bold 7 bold cross times bold 6

(ii)

'Hence' means using the information in the previous question.
Let n be 8

n equals 8 comma space space fraction numerator n factorial over denominator open parentheses n minus 3 close parentheses factorial end fraction equals fraction numerator 8 factorial over denominator open parentheses 8 minus 3 close parentheses factorial end fraction equals fraction numerator 8 factorial over denominator 5 factorial end fraction space space space space and space space space space fraction numerator 8 factorial over denominator 5 factorial end fraction equals 8 cross times 7 cross times 6


Then 5 = n - 3 , 6 = n - 2, 7 = n - 1     

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Permutations

Are permutations and arrangements the same thing?

  • Mathematically speaking yes, a permutation is the number of possible arrangements of a set of objects when the order of the arrangements matters
  • A permutation can either be finding the number of ways to arrange n  items or finding the number of ways to arrange r  out of n items
  • The number of permutations of n different items is n factorial equals n cross times open parentheses n minus 1 close parentheses cross times open parentheses n minus 2 close parentheses cross times... cross times 2 cross times 1
    • For 5 different items there are 5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 = 120 permutations
    • For 6 different items there are 6! = 6 × 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 = 720  permutations
    • It is easy to see how quickly the number of possible permutations of different items can increase
    • For 10 different items there are 10! = 3 628 800 possible permutations

How do we find r  permutations of n items?

  • If we only want to find the number of ways to arrange a few out of n  different objects, we should consider how many of the objects can go in the first position, how many can go in the second and so on
  • If we wanted to arrange 3 out of 5 different objects, then we would have 3 positions to place the objects in, but we would have 5 options for the first position, 4 for the second and 3 for the third
    • This would be 5 × 4 × 3 ways of permutating 3 out of 5 different objects
    • This is equivalent to fraction numerator 5 factorial over denominator 2 factorial end fraction equals fraction numerator 5 factorial over denominator open parentheses 5 minus 3 close parentheses factorial end fraction
  • If we wanted to arrange 4 out of 10 different objects, then we would have 4 positions to place the objects in, but we would have 10 options for the first position, 9 for the second, 8 for the third and 7 for the fourth
    • This would be 10 × 9 × 8 × 7 ways of permutating 4 out of 10 different objects
    • This is equivalent to fraction numerator 10 factorial over denominator 6 factorial end fraction equals fraction numerator 10 factorial over denominator left parenthesis 10 minus 4 right parenthesis factorial end fraction
  • If we wanted to arrange r out of n different objects, then we would have r positions to place the objects in, but we would have n options for the first position, begin mathsize 16px style open parentheses n minus 1 close parentheses end style for the second, begin mathsize 16px style open parentheses n minus 2 close parentheses end style for the third and so on until we reach open parentheses n minus open parentheses r minus 1 close parentheses close parentheses
    • This would be n cross times open parentheses n minus 1 close parentheses cross times... cross times open parentheses n minus r plus 1 close parentheses ways of permutating r out of n different objects
    • This is equivalent to begin mathsize 16px style fraction numerator n factorial over denominator open parentheses n minus r close parentheses factorial end fraction end style
  • The function fraction numerator n factorial over denominator stretchy left parenthesis n minus r stretchy right parenthesis factorial end fractioncan be written as begin mathsize 16px style straight P presuperscript n subscript r end style
    • Make sure you can find and use this button on your calculator
  • The same function works if we have n spaces into which we want to arrange r objects, consider
    • for example arranging five people into a row of ten empty chairs

Permutations when two or more items must be together

  • If two or more items must stay together within an arrangement, it is easiest to think of these items as ‘stuck’ together
  • These items will become one within the arrangement
  • Arrange this ‘one’ item with the others as normal
  • Arrange the items within this ‘one’ item separately
  • Multiply these two arrangements together

Permutations when two or more items cannot be all together

  • If two items must be separated …
    • consider the number of ways these two items would be together
    • subtract this from the total number of arrangements without restrictions
  • If more than two items must be separated…
    • consider whether all of them must be completely separate (none can be next to each other) or whether they cannot all be together (but two could still be next to each other)
    • If they cannot all be together then we can treat it the same way as separating two items and subtract the number of ways they would all be together from the total number of permutations of the items, the final answer will include all permutations where two items are still together

Permutations when more than two items must be separated

    • If the items must all be completely separate then
      • lay out the rest of the items in a line with a space in between each of them where one of the items which cannot be together could go
      • remember that this could also include the space before the first and after the last item
      • You would then be able to fit the items which cannot be together into any of these spaces, using the r permutations of n items rule
      • You do not need to fill every space

Permutations when two or more items must be in specific places

  • Most commonly this would be arranging a word where specific letters would go in the first and last place
  • Or arranging objects where specific items have to be at the ends/in the middle
    • Imagine these specific items are stuck in place, then you can find the number of ways to arrange the rest of the items around these ‘stuck’ items
  • Sometimes the items must be grouped
    • For example all vowels must be before the consonants
    • Or all the red objects must be on one side and the blue objects must be on the other
    • Find the number of permutations within each group separately and multiply them together
    • Be careful to check whether the groups could be in either place
      • e.g. the vowels on one side and consonants on the other
      • or if they must be in specific places (the vowels before the consonants)
    • If the groups could be in either place than your answer would be multiplied by two
    • If there were n groups that could be in any order then your answer would be multiplied by n!

Examiner Tip

  • The wording is very important in permutations questions, just one word can change how you answer the question
  • Look out for specific details such as whether three items must all be separated or just cannot be all together (there is a difference)
  • Pay attention to whether items must be in alternating order (e.g. red and blue items must alternate, either RBRB… or BRBR…) or whether a particular item must come first (red then blue and so on)
  • If items should be at the ends, look out for whether they can be at either end or whether one must be at the beginning and the other at the end

Worked example

a)
How many ways are there to rearrange the letters in the word EXAMS if the E and the S must be at each end?
 

   

'Stick' the E and the S at each end. 
Be careful here, the question says 'at each end' so the E and the S could each go at either end. 
   

E _ _ _ S

or

S _ _ _ E
  

Find the number of arrangements of the remaining letters. 
  

3 factorial space equals space 3 space cross times space 2 space cross times space 1

Multiply by 2 as there were two positions the E and the S could go in.
 
2 space cross times space 3 factorial space equals space 2 space cross times space 3 space cross times space 2 space cross times space 1

12

(b)
Find the number of distinct four digit codes that can be made from the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, where none of the digits can be used more than once. 
 
There are ten numbers available and we want to find the number of arrangements of four of them.
There are 10 numbers for the first position, 9 for the second, 8 for the third and 7 for the fourth.

  

10 space cross times space 9 space cross times space 8 space cross times space 7

This is the same as 10P4, (= 10, = 4).

5040

   

 

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Amber

Author: Amber

Expertise: Maths

Amber gained a first class degree in Mathematics & Meteorology from the University of Reading before training to become a teacher. She is passionate about teaching, having spent 8 years teaching GCSE and A Level Mathematics both in the UK and internationally. Amber loves creating bright and informative resources to help students reach their potential.