CHAPTER-1 PERMUTATION AND COMBINATION

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF COUNTING (LEVEL-EASY)

1. In a theatre, there are 4 entrance doors and 5 exit doors. In how many ways can a person enter the theatre and exit?
2. There are five doors in the school canteen. In how many ways can a student enter the canteen and leave it through a
different door?
3. There are eight vans running between basundhara and kalanki. In how many ways can a man go from basundhara to
kalanki and return by a different van?
4. In how many ways can a man send four of his children to six different colleges of a certain town?
5. There are six roads between pokhara and butwal and four between butwal and chitwan. If bikash has to travel from
pokhara to chitwan and return without driving on the same road twice, in how many ways bikash can travel?
6. There are 4 bus routes and 5 train routes between two cities A and B. In how many ways can a person go from A to
B?
7. Find how many numbers of three different digits can be formed from the integers 1, 2, 3, and 4.
8. How many three digits even number can be formed from the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 if
a) Repetition of digits is not allowed b) repetition of digits is allowed
9. How many four digits numbers can be formed which is exactly divisible by 3 using the integers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 if
b) Repetition of digits is not allowed b) repetition of digits is allowed
10.How many three digits number can be formed without using the digits 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 when repetition of digits is
allowed?
11.How many numbers of four digits less than 600 can be formed using the integers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7?
12.How many numbers between 3000 and 4000 can be formed by taking the digits 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7?
13.How many numbers of at least three different digits can be formed from the integers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6?
14.How many numbers of at most three different digits can be formed from the integers 3, 4, 5, 6, 7?
 15.How many numbers are there between 100 and 1000 such that every digit is either 2 or 9?
16.In a certain election, there are three candidates for president, five for secretary and two for the treasurer. Find in how
many ways the election may turn out?
17.A class consists of 60 girls and 40 boys. In how many ways can a president, vise-president, treasurer and secretary be
chosen if the treasurer must be a girl, the secretary must be a boy, and a student may not hold more than one post?

PERMUTATIONS
PERMUTATION OF n OBJECTS TAKEN r AT A TIME (LEVEL- EASY)

1. In how many ways can the six letters A, B, C, D, E, and F be arranged in a row taken four at a time?
2. Find the number of permutations of five letters P, Q, R, S and t taken all at a time.
3. If four students enter a classroom where there are ten vacant seats, find in how many ways they can sit?
4. A woman has 10 children. She arranges 11 chairs in a row and sits on the chair in the middle. If her youngest child
sits on the adjacent chair to her left, in how many ways can the remaining children be seated?
5. In how many ways can 5 boys and 4 girls be arranged for a group photograph if the girls are to sit on the chairs in a
row and the boys are to stand in a row behind them?
6. Find the number of ways in which 5 girls and 4 boys be arranged in a row of 9 seats if:
a) They may sit anywhere.
b) The girls and boys must sit alternatively.
7. In how many ways can eight people be seated in a row of 8 seats so that two particular persons are
a) Always together b) always separated

PERMUTATION OF OBJECTS NOT ALL DIFFERENT (LEVEL- EASY)

1. In how many ways can the letters of the word ELEMENT be arranged?
 2. In how many ways can the letters of the word MATHEMATICS be arranged?
3. In how many ways can the letters of the word MISSISSIPPI be arranged?
4. In how many ways can the letters of the word INDEPENDENCE be arranged?
5. In how many ways can the letters of the word OUAGADOUGOU be arranged?
6. Find how many six digit numbers can be formed from these sets of digits
a) 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 and 3 b) 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, and 7 c) 8, 8, 9, 9, 9, 9

CIRCULAR PERMUTATIONS (LEVEL- EASY AND MEDIUM)

1. In how many ways can the numbers on a clock face be arranged?

2. In how many ways can 10 people sit in a round table for a meeting?
3. In how many ways can nine different coloured flowers be made into a beautiful garland?
4. In how many ways can seven different coloured beads be made into a beautiful necklace?
5. In how many ways can 5 management students and 5 science students be arranged in a circular table for a seminar if:
a) There is no restrictions in sitting b) they have to sit alternately
6. In how many ways can ten people be seated in a round table if two people insist on sitting next to each other?
7. How many ways can 7 people are seated at a round table if 3 people refuse to sit next to each other?
8. In how many ways can 4 art students and 4 science students be arranged alternately in a round table?

MIXED PROBLEMS ON TOGETHER/NOT TOGETHER/BEGIN WITH/END WITH (LEVEL- MEDIUM AND HARD

1. Find how many words can be formed from the letters in the word “BEGIN” so that the vowels always come together?
2. How many words can be formed from the letters of the word “LEVEL” so that the vowels never separate?
3. Find the number of arrangements to arrange the letters of the word “FAILURE” such that vowels are together.
4. Find the number of the words that can be formed from the letters of the word “TOGETHER” so that vowels are
always together.
5. In how many ways can the letters of the word “CALCULUS” be arranged so that two C’s do not come together?
6. How many different words can be formed of the letters of the word “ARRANGE”? In how many words two R’s
always separate?
7. Find the number of different permutations to permute the letters of the word “HEXAGON” so that all the vowels do
not come together.
8. In how many different ways can the letters of the word “DETERRANT” be arranged so that the repeated letters do
not come together?
9. Find the number of different 8 letter words formed from the letters of the word “EQUATION”, if each word is to
begin with vowel.
10.Find the number of different words formed from the letters of the word “EXAM”, if each word is to end with X.
11.In how many ways can the letters of the word “SUNDAY” be arranged? How many of these arrangements do not
begin with S? How many begin with S and do not end with Y?
12.In how many ways can the letters of the word “ENGLISH” be arranged? How many of these arrangements do not
begin with E? How many begin with E and do not end with H?
13.In how many ways can the letters of the word “COMPUTER” be arranged so that:
a) All the vowels are always together
b) The vowels may occupy only odd positions
c) The relative positions of the vowels and consonants are not changed
14.In how many ways can the letters of the word “MAGIC” be arranged so that:
a) The vowels may occupy only odd positions
b) No two vowels are together
c) The relative positions of the vowels and consonants are not changed
15.How many different words can be formed with all the letters of the word “INTERNET” if:
a) Each word is to begin with vowel b) Each word is to end with consonant
 COMBINATIONS
PROBLEMS ON USING FORMULA AND PROPERTIES (LEVEL-EASY and MEDIUM)

1. Calculate the value of C(15, 10).

2. If C(18, t) = C(18, t + 2), find t and C(t, 3).
3. If C(21, 2r + 1) = C(21, 3r – 5), find the value of r.
4. If 2nC3 : nC2 = 44: 3, find the value of n.
5. If nCr-1 = 45, nCr =120 and nCr+1 =210, find n and r.
6. If C(n, r – 1) = 36, C(n, r) = 84 and C(n, r + 1) = 126, find the value of r and n.

COMBINATIONS ON INCLUDING/EXCLUDING/MAKING COMPULSORY (LEVEL- EASY)

1. In an examination paper containing 12 questions, a student has to answer 9 questions only, in how many ways can
he choose to answer?
2. Find the number of ways in which 4 courses out of 7 can be selected when 2 courses are compulsory.
3. From 10 players, in how many ways can a selection of 4 be made when 2 particular players are always
a) Included b) excluded
4. A person has got 12 acquaintances of which 8 are relatives. In how many ways can he invite 7 guests so that 5 of
them may be relatives?
5. How many committees of 6 members each can be formed from 9 officials and 5 non-official members if each
consists of 3 officials and 4 non-officials?
6. From a group of 10 men and 7 women, how many committees consisting of 5 men and 3 women are possible?
7. If there are 10 persons in a party, and if each two of them dance with each other, how many dances happen in the
party?
 8. In an examination, a candidate has to pass in each of the four subjects. In how many ways can the candidate fail?
9. In an examination, an examinee has to secure A grade in each of the five subjects. In how many ways can the
examinee fail to secure A grade?
10.I have 6 friends. I want to invite my friends for a dinner. And for this how many ways i can invite one or more of
them?

SELECTING PEOPLE TO MAKE A GROUP HAVING THE CONDITIONS OF ATLEAST/ATMOST (LEVEL-

MEDIUM)

1. In how many ways a committee of three can be formed from 4 men and 3 women so as to include at least one
woman.
2. From 6 boys and 4 girls, a committee of 5 is to be formed. In how many ways can this be done so as to include at
least to boys?
3. In a group of 12 students, 7 are boys. In how many ways can 5 students be selected for chess competition so as to
include
a) Exactly 3 boys
b) At least three boys
c) At most three girls
4. A committee of five persons is to be formed from 5 men and 3 women. In how many ways can this be done so that
at least two women are included?
5. In a group of 15 boys, there are 6 boy scouts. In how many ways can 12 boys be selected so as to include at most 4
boy scouts?
MIXED PROBLEMS ON PERMUTATION AND COMBINATION WITH PROVING QUESTIONS (LEVEL –
HARD)

1. Prove that the total number of permutations of a set of n objects taken r at a time is given by P(n, r) =

2. Show that the number of combinations of n objects taken r at a time is given by C(n, r) = . Also show that
C(n, r) + C(n, r – 1) = C(n + 1, r).
3. A man has 8 close friends. Find the ways she can invite 3 to the dinner where,
a) There are no restrictions.
b) Two of the friends are married to each other and will not sit separately.
c) Two of the friends are not speaking to each other and will not sit together.
4. In how many ways 3 letters can be selected from the letters of the word “PROPORTION” such that
a) All three letters are distinct
b) Two letters are alike and one is distinct
c) All three letters are alike
5. In how many ways 4 letters from the word COLLEGE be selected such that
a) All 4 letters are distinct
b) 2 letters are alike and 2 letters are distinct
6. Find the number of permutations and combinations of four letters taken from the word “EXAMINATION”.
7. Find the number of permutations and combinations of four letters taken from the word “MATHEMATICS”.
8. A committee of 5 people is to be chosen from 6 men and 4 women. In how many ways can this be done
a) There must be more men than the women in the committee.
b) One particular woman refuses to be on the committee with one particular man.
9. Three letters are selected at random from the letters of the word BIOLOGY. Find the total number of selections.
10.Three letters are selected at random from the letters of the word PARABOLA. Find the total number of selections.
11.There are 20 teachers at a conference. Of these, 8 are math teachers, 6 are physics teachers, 4 are chemistry
teachers and 2 are biology teachers. Four of the teachers are to be chosen at random to take part in a quiz. In how
many different ways can the teachers be chosen
a) If there is to be a teacher from same subject.
b) If they all must teach the same subject.
c) If there are to be at least two math teachers.
12.How many distinct three-digit numbers can be made from five cards, each with one of the digits 5, 5, 7, 8 and 9
written on it?
13.Ten cars are to be parked in a car park that has 20 parking spaces set out in two rows of 10. Find how many
different patterns of unoccupied parking spaces are possible if
a) The cars can be parked in any of the 20 spaces.
b) The cars are parked in the same row.
c) The same number of cars is parked in each row.
d) Two more cars are parked in one row than in the other.
14.Three identical cans of cola, 2 identical cans of green tea and 2 identical cans of orange juice are arranged in a
row. Calculate the number of arrangements if
a) The first and last cans in the row are the same type of drink.
b) The 3 cans of cola are all next to each other and the 2 cans of green tea are not next to each other.