How Do You Calculate The Number Of Combinations?
A “combination” is an unordered series of distinct elements. An ordered series of distinct elements is referred to as a “permutation.” A salad may contain lettuce, tomatoes and olives. It does not matter what order it is in; you can say lettuce, olives and tomatoes, or olives, lettuce and tomatoes. In the end, it’s still the same salad. This is a combination. The combination to a padlock, however, must be exact. If the combination is 40-30-13, then 30-40-13 will not open the lock. This is known as a “permutation.” Review combination notation. Mathematicians use nCr to notate a combination. The notation stands for the number of “n” elements, taken “r” at a time. The notation 5C3 indicates the number of combinations in which 3 elements can be selected out of 5. Review factorials. Mathematicians use factorials to solve combination problems. A factorial represents the product of all numbers from 1 up to (and including) the specified number. Thus, 5 factorial = 1*2*3*4*5. “5!” is the notati
