PERMUTATIONS & COMBINATIONS

JEE MAINS Syllabus

1. Factorial Notation
2. Fundamental Principles of Operation
3. Combinations
4. Permutations
5. Division into Groups
6. Permutations in which the operation of Selection is necessary
7. Dearrangement Theorem
8. Multinomial Theorem & Its Applications
9. Divisibility of Numbers
10. Sum of Numbers

KEY CONCEPTS
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 The number of combinations of n different things
taking r at a time
When one or more operations can be accomplished by (a) When p particular things are always to be
number of ways then there are two principles to find included = n–pCr–p
the total number of ways to accomplish one, two, or
(b) When p particular things are always to be
all of the operations without counting them as follows:
excluded = n–pCr
1.1 Fundamental Principle of Multiplication :
(c) When p particular things are always included and q
Let there are two parts A and B of an operation and if particular things are always excluded
these two parts can be performed in m and n different
= n–p–qCr–p
number of ways respectively, then that operation can
be completed in m × n ways. 2.2 Total number of combinations in different cases :
1.2 Fundamental Principle of addition : (a) The number of combinations of n
If there are two operations such that they can be done different things taking some or all (or atleast
independently in m and n ways respectively, then any one) at a time = nC1+ nC2 + .....+ nCn
one of these two operations can be done by (m + n) = 2n – 1
number of ways. (b) The number of ways to select some or all out of
(p + q + r) things where p are alike of first kind, q
are alike of second kind and r are alike of third
The different groups or selections of a given number kind is = (p +1) (q +1) ( r +1) – 1
of things by taking some or all at a time without (c) The number of ways to select some or all out of
paying any regard to their order, are called their (p + q + t) things where p are alike of first kind, q
combinations. are alike of second kind and remaining t are
The number of combinations of n different things different is = (p +1) (q +1) 2t – 1
taken r at a time is denoted by
n
Cr or C (n, r )
An arrangement of some given things taking some or
n
Cr = all of them, is called a permutation of these things.
For Example, three different things a, b and c are
given, then different arrangements which can be made
So nCr =
by taking two things from the three given things are
ab, ac, bc, ba, ca, cb
n
Particular cases : Cr = Therefore, the number of permutations will be 6.
3.1 The number of permutations of n different things
n
Cn = 1 taken r at a time is nPr, where
n
C0 = 1
n
Some Important Results : Pr =
* nCr = nCn–r = n ( n–1) (n–2) ..... (n–r + 1)
* nCx = nCy x + y = n The number of permutations of n dissimilar things
* nCr + nCr–1 = n+1Cr taken all at a time = nPn = n!

* n
Cr = .n–1Cr–1 3.2 Permutations in which all things are not different :
The number of permutations of n things taken
n n
all at a time when p of them are alike and of one
* Cr = Cr–1 kind, q of them are alike and of second kind, r of
n
them are alike and of third kind and all remaining
* C1= nCn–1 = n being different is
* Greatest value of nCr
= nCn/2, when n is even
= nC(n–1)/2 or nC(n+1)/2 , when n is odd
3.3 Permutations in which things may be repeated :
The number of permutations of n different things
2.1 Restricted Combinations :
taken r at a time when each thing can be used once,
twice, .....upto r times in any permutation is nr.
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 In particular, in above case when n things are taken at
a time then total number of permutation is nn.
3.4 Restricted Permutations : If in a permutation, some
particular things are to be placed at some particular
places or some particular things are always to be (Anti- clockwise order) (Clockwise order)
included or excluded, then it is called a restricted Since the arrangements ABC, BCA, CAB, are in the
permutation. The following are some of the restricted same order (clockwise order), therefore these three
permutations. linear permutations are equal to one circular
(a) The number of permutations of n dissimilar things permutation.
taken r at a time, when m particular things always From this example, it is clear that from a circular
occupy definite places = n–m P r–m permutation of three things, there correspond three
(b) The number of permutations of n different things linear permutations. Thus, we conclude that if x be the
taken altogether when r particular things are to be number of circular permutations of 3 given things then
placed at some r given places. the number of their linear permutations will be 3x.so
= n–r Pn–r = (n–r) !
3x = 3!  x = .
(c) The number of permutations of n different things
taken r at a time, when m particular things are always
In a similar way it can be seen that if x be the number
to be excluded = n–mPr
of circular permutations of n different things taking r
(d) The number of permutations of n different things at a time, then
taken r at a time when m particular things are always
rx = nPr  x = nPr /r
to be included
Thus, we obtain the following results for the number
= n–m Cr–m × r!
of circular permutations.
3.5 Permutation of numbers when given digits include
3.6.1 Number of Circular Permutations :
zero :
(a) The number of Circular permutations of n
If the given digits include 0, then two or more digit
numbers formed with these digits cannot have 0 on the
different things taking r at a time , when
extreme left. In such cases we find the number of
permutations in the following two ways. clockwise and anti-clockwise orders are treated as
(a) (The number of digits which may be used at the different.
extreme left) x (The number of ways in which the (b) The number of circular permutations of n
remaining places may be filled up) different things taking altogether
(b) If given digits be n (including 0) then total
number of m- digit numbers formed with them ,
when clockwise and anti clockwise orders
= nPm - n–1 Pm–1.
because n–1Pm–1 is the number of such numbers which are treated as different.
contain 0 at extreme left. (c) The number of Circular permutations of n
3.6 Circular Permutations
different things taking r at a time , when
Till now we have calculated the number of linear
permutation in which things are arranged in a row. the above two orders are treated as same.
Now we shall find the number of permutations in
(d) The number of circular permutations of n
which things are arranged in a circular shape. Such
different things taking altogether
permutations are named as circular permutations.
Thus an arrangement of some given things round a
circle is called their circular permutation. = , when above two orders are
It should be noted that in a circular permutation initial treated as same.
and final position of things can not be specified. Thus
all linear permutations of some given things having 3.6.2 Restricted Circular Permutations : When there
the same order of elements will give the same circular is a restriction in a Circular permutation then first
permutation. of all we shall perform the restricted part of the
operation and then perform the remaining part
For example, there are 6 linear permutations of three
treating it similar to a linear permutation.
letters A, B and C taken all at a time. These are ABC,
ACB, BAC, BCA, CAB, CBA

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(a) The number of ways in which (p + q) things can
be divided into two groups of p and q things is
7.1 Multinomial Theorem :
p+q
Cp = p + qCq = The expansion of [x1 + x2 + x3 + ..... + xn]r where n & r
are integers (0 < r  n) is a homogenous expression in
Particular case : when p = q, then total number of x1, x2, x3, ..... xn and given as below :
combinations are [x1 + x2 + x3 + ..... + xn] r

(i) when groups are differentiable.

=

(ii) when groups are not differentiable. (where n & r are integers 0  r  n and
1, 2, ....., n are non negative integers)
(b) The number of ways in which (p + q + r) things Such that 1 + 2 + ..... + n = r
can be divided into three groups containing p, q
and r things is (valid only if x1, x2, x3, ..... xn are independent of each other)

coefficient of = total number of

arrangements of r objects out of which 1 number of x1’s
are identical 2 number of x2’s are identical and so on .....
Particular case :
when p = q = r, then total number of combinations are
= =
(i) when groups are differentiable.

(ii) when groups are not differentiable.

7.2 Number of distinct terms :
Since (x1 + x2 + x3 + ..... + xn)r is multiplication of
(x1 + x2 + x3+......+ xn), r times & will be a
homogeneous expansion of rth degree in x1, x2,......xn
So in each term sum of powers of variables must be r
There are questions of permutation in which we have
So number of distinct terms will be total number of
to start with the operation of selection for the given
non-negative integral solution of equation is
number of things. After this we calculate the number
1 +2 +3+......+n= r
of different arrangements for each of such selected
group. = Number of ways of distributing r identical objects
among n persons

Any change in the given order of the things is called a

Dearrangement .
(a) If n items are arranged in a row, then the number
= number of arrangements of r identical balls &
of ways in which they can be rearranged so that
n – 1 identical separators.
no one of them occupies the place assigned to it is
n!
= = n + r – 1Cr = n + r – 1Cn–1

7.3 Application of multinomial theorem

(b) If n things are arranged at n places then the If we want to distribute n identical objects in r
number of ways to rearrange exactly r things at different groups under the condition that empty groups
right places is are not allowed. a1 + a2 + a3 +.....+ ar=n
Boundary conditions are 1  a1, a2......ar  n
(As each box contains at least one object)
Number of ways
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 = coefficient of xn in (x1 + x2 +......+xn)r
= coefficient of xn–r in (1 + x + x2 +.....+xn–1)r
= (n – r) + r – 1Cr–1 = n–1Cr–1 If there are n points in a plane of which m (< n) are
collinear, then
(a) Total number of different straight lines obtained
The following chart shows the conditions of divisibility by joining these n points is
of numbers by 2,3,4,5,6,8,9,25 n
C 2 – mC 2 + 1
Divisible by Condition
(b) Total number of different triangles formed by
2 whose last digit is even joining these n points is
(2, 4, 6, 8, 0) n
C 3 – mC 3
3 sum of whose digits is
(c) Number of diagonals in polygon of n sides is
divisible by 3
4 whose last two digits number n
C2 – n i.e.
is divisible by 4
5 whose last digit is either 0 or 5 (d) If m parallel lines in a plane are intersected by a
6 which is divisible by both 2 and 3 family of other n parallel lines. Then total number
of parallelograms so formed is
8 whose last three digits number
is divisible by 8 m
C2 × nC2 i.e.
9 sum of whose digits is
divisible by 9
25 whose last two digits are
divisible by 25

(a) For given n different digits a 1, a2, a3 ......,an the sum

of the digits in the unit place of all numbers
formed (if numbers are not repeated) is
(a1+ a2 + a3 + ......+ an) (n-1)!

i.e. (sum of the digits) (n-1)!

(b) Sum of the total numbers which can be formed
with given n different digits a 1, a2, a3 .....an is
(a1 + a2 + a3 + ....+ an)(n–1)!.(111 ...n ties)

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