Math Reviewer

Counting Techniques

➢​ The methods used to count possible outcomes in a systematic way.

Factorial Notation

➢​ A mathematical notation used to express the product of all positive integers from 1 to a
given number n.

n! = n × (n-1) × (n-2) × ... × 1

Example Problem: Find 5! Solution: 5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 120

Permutation
➢​ The arrangement of objects in a specific order.

𝑛!
𝑃(𝑛, 𝑟) = (𝑛−𝑟)!

Example Problem: How many ways can 3 books be arranged on a shelf if there are 5 books?

Solution:

5! 5! 5𝑥4𝑥3𝑥2𝑥1
𝑃(5, 3) = (5−3)!
= 2!
= 2𝑥1
= 5𝑥4𝑥3 = 60

Types of Permutation:
Linear Permutation

➢​ Arrangement of objects in a single line.

𝑛!
𝑃(𝑛, 𝑟) = (𝑛−𝑟)!

Example Problem: In how many ways can 4 people be arranged in a row from a group of
6?

Solution:

6! 6! 6𝑥5𝑥4𝑥3𝑥2𝑥1
𝑃(6, 4) = (6−4)!
= 2!
= 2𝑥1
= 6𝑥5𝑥4𝑥3 = 360
Permutation with Repetition

➢​ When objects can be repeated in an arrangement.

𝑟
𝑛
Example Problem: How many ways can you arrange the letters A, B, C if repetition is
allowed for 3 positions? Solution:

3
3 = 27
Distinguishable Permutation

➢​ When some objects are identical.

𝑛!
𝑘! 𝑙! 𝑚!

Example Problem: How many ways can the letters in the word "BALLOON" be
arranged? Solution:

B=1 A=1 L=2 O=2 N=1

7!
𝑃 = (1! 1! 2! 2! 1!)
= 1260

Circular Permutation

➢​ Arrangement of objects in a circle.

(n-1)!
Example Problem: How many ways can 5 people be seated around a round table?
Solution:

(5-1)! = 4! = 24

Combination
➢​ The selection of objects without considering order.
 𝑛!
𝐶(𝑛, 𝑟) = (𝑛−𝑟)!𝑟!

Example Problem: How many ways can you choose 3 students from a group of 7?
Solution:

7! 7! 7𝑥6𝑥5𝑥4𝑥3𝑥2𝑥1 7𝑥6𝑥5 210

𝐶(7, 3) = (7−3)!3!
= 4!3!
= 4𝑥3𝑥2𝑥1 3𝑥2𝑥1
= 3𝑥2𝑥1
= 6
= 35

Finding r Example Problem:

If C(10, r) = 120, find r.

Solution:

10𝑥9𝑥8
C(10,r)= 120
starting from 10 multiply til the number is divisible by 120\

720
r! = 120
= 6, turn the 6 into factorial and then cancel

r! = 6! = r = 3

Finding n Example Problem:

If C(n,3) = 35, find n.

solution:

𝑛! 𝑛(𝑛−1)(𝑛−2)(𝑛−3)
C(n,3) = (𝑛−3)! 3!
= (𝑛−3)! 3!
cancel the (n-3) since they are common

𝑛(𝑛−1)(𝑛−2) 𝑛(𝑛−1)(𝑛−2)
3!
= 6
= 35 𝑥 6 Multiply 6 to both sides so i can be canceled

n(n-1)(n-2) = (7 x 5) 6 factorize 35 and let the highest number be n

N=7

Probability
➢​ The measure of how likely an event is to occur.

𝐹𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠
P(E) =
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝐸𝑥𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒
Example Problem: What is the probability of rolling a 3 on a fair six-sided die?

Solution:

1
P(3) = 6
or 16.67%

Union, Intersection, and Complement

➢​ Union: The set of elements in either A or B or both.

P(A ∪ B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A ∩ B)

Example Problem: If P(A) = 0.4, P(B) = 0.3, and P(A ∩ B) = 0.1, find P(A ∪ B).

Solution: P(A ∪ B) = 0.4 + 0.3 - 0.1 = 0.6​

➢​ Intersection: The set of elements common to A and B.

P(A ∩ B) = P(A) × P(B)

Example Problem: If P(A) = 0.5 and P(B) = 0.4, find P(A ∩ B) assuming independence.

Solution: P(A ∩ B) = 0.5 × 0.4 = 0.2​

➢​ Complement: The set of elements not in A.

P(A') = 1 - P(A)

Example Problem: If P(A) = 0.3, find P(A').

Solution: P(A') = 1 - 0.3 = 0.7

Simple and Compounf Porbability

➢​ Simple probability: Can only happen in ONE way, only a SINGLE outcome

Example Problem: Tossing a coin once and getting heads, with the probability of 1/2

➢​ Compound Probability: Involves the probability of MORE THAN ONE outcome

Example Problem: Tossing a coin twice and getting two heads, with the probability being
(1/2) x (1/2) = 1/4 or 0.25

Mutually Exclusive and Inclusive Events

 ➢​ Mutually Exclusive: are events that cannot occur SIMOULTANEOUSLY

P (AUB) = P(A) + P(B) or P (A or B) = P(A) + P(B)

Example Problem: there are 16 candies, 5 are strawberry-flavored, 6 are grape-flavored,

and the rest are plain.what is the probability that it is strawberry or grape? Solution:

6 5 11
16
+ 16
= 16
or 68.75%

➢​ Inclusive Events: are events that CAN occur at the same time, events that have
something in common

P(AUB) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A∩B) or P(AUB) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A or B)

Example Problem: A card is selected from a deck of 52 cards. What is the probability
that it is a red card or a number less than 5? Solution:

Red cards = 26 numbers less 5 = 16 number less than 5 that are red = 8

26 16 42 8
52
+ 52
= 52
you will then subtract
52
because that is the intersection

42 8 34 17
52
+ 52
= 52
simplest term =
26
or 65.38%

Dependent and Independent Events

➢​ Dependent: One event affects the outcome of another.

P(A and B) = P(A) P(B A)

Example Problem: Randomly getting a red marble from a bag of 7 green, 2 blue, and 5
red marbles after getting a green marble and NOT REPLACING it. Solution:

Green = 7 blue = 2 red = 5 total = 14

7 5 35 5
14
𝑥 13
= 182
𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 26
𝑜𝑟 19. 23%

➢​ Independent: Events that do not affect each other.

P(A and B) = P(A) P(B)

Example Problem:Randomly getting a red marble from a bag of 7 green, 2 blue, and 5
red marbles after getting a green marble and REPLACING it. Solution:
 Green = 7 blue = 2 red = 5 total = 14

7 5 35 5
14
𝑥 14
= 196
𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 28
𝑜𝑟 17. 86%

Conditional Probability

➢​ The probability of an event occurring given that another event has occurred.

𝑃(𝐴∩𝐵)
P(A | B) = 𝑃(𝐵)

Example Problem: If P(A ∩ B) = 0.2 and P(B) = 0.5, find P(A | B).

0.2
Solution: P(A | B) =
0.5
= 0.4