WEEK 3 – 4:

COMBINATION
OBJECTIVES:
1. Evaluate the combination formula
C(n,r).
2. Solve equations involving combination
formula.
3. Solve real life problems by finding the
number of:
a) combination of n things taken r at a
time.
b) combination with special conditions.
Definition:
Combination – the number of ways of selecting
from a set when the order is not important. The
number of combinations of n objects taken r at a
time is given by:
C(n,r) = nCr = , where n r
The number of COMBINATIONS of n objects taken r
at a time is denoted by C(n,r) is the number of
ways a subset of r elements can be taken from a
set of n elements.
Evaluate the following:

1. 8 C3 = = = = = 56 and 8 C3 = 8C5= 56
2. 9C4 = = = = = 126 and 9 C4 = 9C5 = 126
3. 9C4 + 10C3 – 7C5 = + - = + -
= 126 + 120 - 21 = 225
4. = = = 7
5. 8C5 • 7C4 = = 56•35 = 1,960
Find the value of n or r:
1. C(n,4) = 35
= = 35 ; = 35
n(n-1)(n-2)(n-3) = 35x24 = 840
n(n-1)(n-2)(n-3) = 840 n(n-1)(n-2)(n-3) = 7(6)(5)
(4)
n=7
2. C(n,3) = 84
= = 84 ; = 84
n(n-1)(n-2) = 84x6 = 504
9(8)(7) = 504 n(n-1)(n-2) = 9(8)(7)
n=9
Find the value of n or r:
3. C(8,r) = 56
= 56 8! = 56(8 – r)! r!
8!/56 = (8 – r)! r! 720 = (8 –r)! r!
6! = (8 – r)! r! 6 = r(8 – r) 3(2) = r(8 – r)
r = 3 or r = 5
4. C(7, r) = 35
= 35 7! = 35(7-r)!r!
7!/35 = (7-r)!r! 144= (7 – r)!r! 4! = (7 – r)!r!
4 = r(7 – r) (24)(6) = (7-r)!r!
4!3! = (7-r)!r!
r=4 or r=3
Study the following situations, which of these involve Permutations or Not?
1. Determining the top three winners in a Science Quiz Bee
- Permutation
2. Forming lines from six given points with no three of which are collinear
- NOT
3. Four people posing for pictures
- Permutation
4. Assembling a jigsaw puzzle
- Permutation
5. Choosing three of your classmates to attend your party
- NOT
6. Choosing three household chores to do before dinner
- NOT
7. Forming a committee of 5 members from 15 people
- NOT
Solve the following problems:
Example 1: How many committees of 4 students can be formed from 6 students?
Sol. n = 6, r = 4 C(6,4) = 15 committees
Example 2: In how many ways can 9 friends form teams of 4 persons to play
cards?
Sol. n = 9, r = 4 C(9,4) = 126 ways
Example 3: In how many ways can an economics teacher select 4 students from 10
to go to Congress to join a lobby for the rights of students?
Sol. n = 10, r = 4 C(10, 4) = 210 ways
Example 4: A barangay captain has to choose 5 from his 8 aides to help control
traffic. In how many ways can he do it?
Sol. n = 8, r = 5 C(8, 5) = 56 ways
Example 5: In how many ways can a set of 5 cards be chosen from a standard deck
of 52 cards?
Sol. n = 52, r = 5 C(52, 5) = 2,598,960 ways
Example 6: There are 10 chess contestants in a tournament. In how many ways can they
be paired for games?
Sol. n = 10, r = 2 C(10,2) = 45 ways
Example 7: If there are 12 teams in a basketball tournament and each team
must play every other team in the eliminations, how many elimination games
will there be? Sol. n = 12, r = 5 C(12,5) = 792 elimination games
Example 8: In a 10-item Mathematics problem solving test, how many ways can you
select 5 problems to solve?
Sol. n = 10, r = 5 C(10, 5) = 252 ways
Example 9: In a gathering, the host makes sure that each guest shakes with everyone
else. If there are 25 guests, how many handshakes will be done?
Sol. n = 25, r = 2 C(25, 2) = 300 handshakes
Example 10: There are ten points on a plane, no three of which are collinear, how many
of the following can be formed?
a) lines?
Sol. n = 10, r = 2 C(10, 2) = 45 lines
b) triangles?
Sol. n = 10, r = 3 C(10, 3) = 120 triangles
 c) quadrilaterals?
Sol. n = 10, r = 4 C(10,4) = 210 quadrilaterals
d) pentagons?
Sol. n = 10, r = 5 C(10,5) = 252 pentagons
Example 11: How many polygons can be possibly formed from 6 different distinct
points on a plane, no three of which are collinear?
Sol. n = 6;

6 C3 + 6C4 + 6C5 + 6C6 = 20 + 15 + 6 + 1 = 42 possible polygons

Example 12: At Enzo’s pizza parlor there are seven different toppings, where a
customer can order any of these toppings. If you dine at the said pizza parlor, with how
many possible toppings can you actually order your pizza?

Sol. n = 7; 7 C1 + 7C2 + 7C3 + 7C4 + 7C5 + 7C6 + 7C7

= 7 + 21 + 35 + 35 + 21 + 7 + 1 = 127 possible toppings
Example 13: Twelve people apply to go on a field trip but there is room in the car for
only five of them. In how many different ways could the group making the trip be
composed?
Combination with Special Conditions
Example 1: A team of 5 is to be chosen from 8 seniors, 7 juniors and 5
sophomores. How many different teams can be chosen if:
a) it includes 2 seniors, 2 juniors and 1 sophomore?

Sol. 8 C2 •7C2• 5C1 = (28)(21)(5) = 2,940 teams

b) exactly 2 juniors is included?

Sol. 7C2 •13C3 = (21)(286) = 6,006 teams

c) there must be 3 seniors?

Sol. 8C3 •12C2 = (56)(66) = 3,696 teams

d) at least 2 seniors are included?

Sol. 8C2 •12C3 + 8C3 •12C2 + 8C4 •12C1 + 8C5 •12C0

= (28)(220) + (56)(66) + (70(12) + 56
= 6160 + 3,696 + 840 + 56 = 10,752 teams
Example 2: A group of 10 men and 6 women must select a four-person
committee. How many ways can the committee be formed if:
a) there must be 2 men?

Sol. 10 C2 •6C2 = (45)(15) = 675 ways

b) any mixture of men and women?

Sol. 16C4 = 1,820 ways

c) at least 2 women are included in the committee?

Sol. 6C2 •10C2 + 6C3 •10C1 + 6C4 •10C0 = (15)(45) + (20)(10) + (15)(1)
= 675 + 200 + 15 = 890 ways
d) at most 3 men are included in the committee?

Sol. 10C3 •6 C 1 + 10 C 2 •6 C 2 + 10 C 1 •6 C 3
= (120)(6) + (45)(15) + (10(20)
= 720 + 675 + 200 = 1,595 ways
Example 3: A box contains 7 red, 5 white, and 3 green balls. In how many ways can
we select 3 balls such that:
a) they are all red?

Sol. 7 C3 •8C0 = (35)(1) = 35 ways

b) they are all white?

Sol. 5C3 •10C0 = (10)(1) = 10 ways

c) they are of different colors?

Sol. 7C1• 5C1•3C1 = (7)(5)(3) = 105 ways

d) two are red and one is white?

Sol. 7C2 •5C1 = 105 ways

e) exactly two are white?
Sol. 5C2 •10C1 = 100 ways
f) exactly one is green?
Sol. 3C1 •12C2 = 198 ways
g) none is green?
Example 4: A stock of 12 DVD players contains 2 defective ones. In how many ways
can one select 2 of these for inspection such that:
a) only one of the defective DVD players is included?

Sol. 10 C1 •2C1 = 20 ways

b) both defective DVD players are included?

Sol. 10C0 •2C2 = 1 way

c)none of the defective DVD players is included?

Sol. 10C2 •2C0 = 45 ways

Example 5: Pete is going on a vacation trip and wants to take 5 books with him. He
can choose from 7 biographies and 8 novels. In how many ways can he choose 5
books if:
a) there is no restriction?
Sol. 15 C5 = 3,003 ways
b) two should be biographies?
Sol. 7C2 •8C3 = 1,176 ways
 c) there is at least one biography and at most 3 novels?
Sol. 7C2 •8C3 + 7C3 •8C2 + 7C4 •8C1 = 1176 + 980 + 280 = 2,436ways
d) 2 books are of one kind and 3 books are of the other kind?
Sol. 7C2 •8C3 + 7C3 •8C2 = 1176 + 980 = 2,156ways
Example 6: Given a deck of 52 playing cards, in how many ways
can a hand of 5 cards with:
a) 2 red and 3 black cards?
Sol. 26C2 •26C3 = 845,000 ways
b) all red cards be dealt?
Sol. 26C5 = 65,780 ways
c) one ace and 4 black cards be dealt?
Sol. 4C1 •26C4 = 59,800 ways
d) all are face cards?
Sol. 12C5 = 792 ways
e) 3 hearts and 2 spades
Sol. 13C3 •13C2 = 22,308 ways
f) exactly 2 diamonds are to be dealt?
Sol. 13C2 •39C3 = 712,842 ways
Example 7: Ten first-graders, 6 boys and 4 girls, are playing on the playground.
Miss Santos selects a group of 5 at random. In how many ways can she select:
a) 3 boys and 2 girls?

Sol. 6 C3 •4C2 = 120 ways

b) exactly one girl?

Sol. 6C4 •4C1 = 60 ways

c) at least 3 boys are included?

Sol. 6C3 •4C2 + 6C4 •4C1 + 6C5 •4C0 = 186 ways

Example 8: In a group of 15 people, 6 are left-handed and the rest are right-
handed. If 7 people are selected at random, in how many ways can these be
chosen if:
a) exactly 3 are left-handed?
Sol. 6C3 •9C4 = 2,520 ways
b) Mario and Adrian, two of the right-handers are selected?
Sol. 9C2 •6C5 = 216 ways
c) all are left-handed?
Example 9: In how many ways can a set of 3 mathematics books and 2 chemistry
books be chosen from a set of 6 different mathematics books and 5 different
chemistry books?

Sol. 6 C3 •5C2 = 200 ways

Example 10: In how many ways can a patrol of 1 officer and 4 enlisted men be
chosen from 4 officers and 10 enlisted men?

Sol. 4C1 •10C4 = 840 ways

Example 11: Two light bulbs are drawn at random from 20 bulbs of which 4 are
defective. In how many ways can we select two bulbs such that:
a) both bulbs are defective?

Sol. 4C2 •16C0 = 6 ways

b) both bulbs are non-defective?
Sol. 4C0 •16C2 = 120ways
c) one bulb is defective and the other is good?
Sol. 4C1 •16C1 = 64 ways
Example 12: If three marbles are picked randomly from a jar containing 6 red
marbles and 8 green marbles, in how many possible ways can it happen that at
least 2 of the marbles picked are green?
Sol. 6C2 •8C1 + 6C3 •8C0 = 140 ways
Example 13: In how many ways can a delegation of 6 students be chosen from 4
seniors, 4 juniors, 3 sophomores and 3 freshmen if:
a) the delegation includes 2 seniors, 2 juniors, 1 sophomores and I freshman?
Sol. 4C2 •4C2• 3C1 •3C1 = 324 ways
b) the delegation includes exactly 3 seniors and 1 for the other levels?
Sol. 4C3 •4C1 • 3C1 •3C1 = 144 ways
THANK
YOU…