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408 Combinatorial

This document provides an overview of key concepts in combinatorial probabilities and binomial coefficients. It defines permutations as arrangements in some order, and discusses ordered vs. unordered samples and samples with vs. without replacement. Formulas are given for the number of permutations, ordered samples, and unordered samples. Properties of binomial coefficients such as symmetry and special cases are described. The binomial theorem and binomial distribution are also summarized.

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259 views

408 Combinatorial

This document provides an overview of key concepts in combinatorial probabilities and binomial coefficients. It defines permutations as arrangements in some order, and discusses ordered vs. unordered samples and samples with vs. without replacement. Formulas are given for the number of permutations, ordered samples, and unordered samples. Properties of binomial coefficients such as symmetry and special cases are described. The binomial theorem and binomial distribution are also summarized.

Uploaded by

evgeniysharapov
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Math 408, Actuarial Statistics I A.J.

Hildebrand
Combinatorial Probabilities
Key concepts
Permutation: arrangement in some order.
Ordered versus unordered samples: In ordered samples, the order of the elements
in the sample matters; e.g., digits in a phone number, or the letters in a word. In
unordered samples the order of the elements is irrelevant; e.g., elements in a subset, or
lottery numbers.
Samples with replacement versus samples without replacement: In the rst
case, repetition of the same element is allowed (e.g., numbers in a license plate); in the
second, repetition not allowed (as in a lottery drawingonce a number has been drawn,
it cannot be drawn again).
Formulas
Number of permutations of n objects: n!
Number of ordered samples of size r, with replacement, from n objects: n
r
Number of ordered samples of size r, without replacement, from n objects:
n(n 1) (n r + 1) =
n!
(n r)!
=
n
P
r
.
Number of unordered samples of size r, without replacement, from a set of n objects
(= number of subsets of size r from a set of n elements) (combinations):

n
r

=
n
P
r
r!
=
n!
r!(n r)!
=
n(n 1) . . . (n r + 1)
r!
.
(See back of page for properties of these binomial coecients.)
Number of subsets of a set of n elements: 2
n
1
Math 408, Actuarial Statistics I A.J. Hildebrand
Binomial coecients
Denition: For n = 1, 2, . . . and k = 0, 1, . . . , n,

n
k

=
n!
k!(n k)!
.
(Note that, by denition, 0! = 1.)
Alternate notations:
n
C
k
or C(n, k)
Alternate denition:

n
k

=
n(n 1) . . . (n k + 1)
k!
.
(This version is convenient for hand-calculating binomial coecients.)
Symmetry property:

n
k

n
n k

Special cases:

n
0

n
n

= 1,

n
1

n
n 1

= n
Binomial Theorem: (x + y)
n
=
n

k=0

n
k

x
k
y
nk
Binomial Theorem, special case:
n

k=0

n
k

p
k
(1 p)
nk
= 1
Combinatorial Interpretations:

n
k

represents
1. the number of ways to select k objects out of n given objects (in the sense of
unordered samples without replacement);
2. the number of k-element subsets of an n-element set;
3. the number of n-letter HT sequences with exactly k Hs and n k Ts.
Binomial distribution: Given a positive integer n and a number p with 0 < p < 1, the
binomial distribution b(n, p) is the distribution with density (p.m.f.) f(k) =

n
k

p
k
(1
p)
nk
, for k = 0, 1, . . . , n.
2

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