MC Sir

Permutation & Combination

1.Fundamental Principle of Counting,
Multiplication Rule
2.Factorial, Permutation & Combination,
Examples
3.Properties, Circular Permutations, Clockwise and
Anticlockwise Arrangements
4.Arrangement of Alike Objects
5.All Possible Selections
6.Number of Divisors of N
7.Distribution of Identical Objects (Begger’s
Method), Maximizing nCr , Grid Problem, De-
 MC Sir

Permutation & Combination

No. of Questions
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

1 1 -- -- 1
PERMUTATION
AND
COMBINATION
PERMUTATION AND
COMBINATION
To count without actually counting
5 Models
Model - 1
 Example
Q. Number of way in which one can travel from
town T1 to T3 via town T2 and T4 in definite
order
Model - 2
Cinema Hall
Q. Number of ways to view a movie given
number of ways are differentiated by exit and
entry.
Model - 3
Tossing of a coin
 Model - 4
Placing Books P,C,M,H on a shelf having 4 partition
 Example
Q. Number of ways to keep 5 different books in 5
distinct partitions
 Model - 5
Keeping P | C | M | E books on a shelf having 5
partition.
 Example
Q. Ways to arrange 4 people on 5 different seats.
Q. Number of ways if :
(i) 3 digit numbers using the digits 1,2,3,4,5
without repetition.
Q. Number of ways if :
(ii) If repetition is allowed
Q. Number of ways if :
(iii) Numbers of 3 digit even numbers without
repetition
Q. Number of ways if :
(iv) 3 digit odd number without repetition.
Q. 10 True / False questions. A student answered
all questions no negative marking.
(i) Ways to obtain maximum marks
Q. 10 True / False questions. A student answered
all questions no negative marking.
(ii) Ways to obtain minimum marks
Q. 10 True / False questions. A student answered
all questions no negative marking.
(iii) Ways to get positive marks
Q. 10 True / False questions. A student answered
all questions no negative marking.
(iv) At least one answer is wrong
Q. How many 3 digit number can be formed
without using 0,2,3,4,5,6. (by default repetition is
allowed)
Q. 10 students compete in a swimming race. In
how many ways can they occupy the first 3
positions.
Q. 7 Flags of different colour. Number of
different signals that can be transmitted by the use
2 flags one above the other.
Q. How many 3 digit numbers more than 600 can
be formed using 2, 3, 4, 6, 7
Q. How many numbers between 3000 & 4000 can
be made from 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 without repetition
Q. How many numbers divisible by 5 lying
between 4000 & 5000 can be formed from 4, 5,
6, 7, 8 ?
Q. Ten different letters of an alphabet are given.
Words with five letters are formed from these
given letters. Then, the number of words which
have at least one letter repeated, is
(A) 69760 (B) 30240
(C) 99748 (D) None of these
[IIT-JEE 1980]
Q. How many numbers greater than thousand but
not greater than 4000 can be formed with 0, 1,
2, 3, 4
(i) repetition is not allowed
Q. How many numbers greater than thousand but
not greater than 4000 can be formed with 0, 1,
2, 3, 4
(ii) repetition is allowed
Q. A men has 6 friend in how many he send
invitation cards to them if he has 3 servant to
carry cards
 Factorial

0! = 1 ;

1! = 1 ;

2! = 2 ;

3! = 6 ;

4! = 24.
 Note
Factorial up to 7 must be remembered
 Example
n
Q. Prove that : (2n!) = 2 .n! [1.3.5…….(2n – 1)].
Q. If (100)! = 2m. I where I is an odd integer then
find m
Prime factorization
 Example
Q. Find the number of zeros in the end of 100!
Theorems
 T-1
Number of permutations of n distinct things taken all
at a time symbolysed as :
 T-2
Number of permutations of n distinct things taken r
at a time 0 < r < n as :
 T-3
Number of combinations / selections of n distinct
things taken r (0 < r < n) at a time
 Note
n
Cr = nCn-r ;

n
C0 = 1 ;

n
Cn = 1

Cx = Cy ⇒ x = y or x + y = n
n n

n n
Pr = r! Cr

n n n+1
 Example
Q. If 7C2 + 7C3 + 8C4 + 9C5 + 10C6 + 11C7 = 12Cx.
Find x
Q. The value of the expression

(A) 47C5 (B) 52C5

(C) 52C4 (D) None of these
[IIT-JEE 1980]
 n+2
Q. If Cn = 45 find n
Q. If nC90 = nC11 find nC2
Q. 5 nP3 = 24 nC4 find n
Q. There are n points in a plane, no 3 of which are
collinear. Find
(i) Number of straight lines formed by
joining these points.
Q. There are n points in a plane, no 3 of which are
collinear. Find
(ii) Number of triangles.
Q. (i) Find Number of diagonals in a n polygon
Q. (ii) Number of diagonals of a n sided
polygon are 44. Find number of sides of
the polygon.
Q. In a birthday party of 101 people, every person
shakes hand with every other person. Find
number of hand shakes in the party.
Q. 10 points in a plane no 3 being collinear except
4 which are in the same line find.
Q. 10 points in a plane no 3 being collinear except
4 which are in the same line find.
(i) Number of different lines
Q. 10 points in a plane no 3 being collinear except
4 which are in the same line find.
(ii) Number of ∆
Q. 5 boys along with Ram & Shyam are to be
arranged in a line.
Q. 5 boys along with Ram & Shyam are to be
arranged in a line.
(i) Ways to arrange such that Ram &
Shyam are always together.
Q. 5 boys along with Ram & Shyam are to be
arranged in a line.
(ii) Ways to arrange such that Ram &
Shyam are never together.
Q. 6 parallel lines are cut by other 5 parallel
lines. Find numbers of parallelograms.
Q. A five digits number divisible by 3 is to be
formed using the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5,
without repetition. The total number of ways
this can be done, is [IIT-JEE 1989]
(A) 216 (B) 240 (C) 600 (D) 3125
Q. A train having 12 stations enroute has to be
stopped at 4 stations. Number of ways the train
can be stopped if no two of the stopping
stations are consecutive.
Q. Eight chairs are numbered 1 to 8. Two women
and three men wish to occupy one chair each.
First the women choose the chairs from
amongst the chairs marked 1 to 4, and then the
men select the chairs from amongst the
remaining. The number of possible
arrangements is
(A) 6C3 × 4C2 (B) 4P2 × 4P3
(C) 4C2 + 4P3 (D) None of these
[IIT-JEE 1982]
Q. A grandfather with 4 grand children takes
them to a garden without taking the same 3
children together
(i) How many time grandfather goes.
Q. A grandfather with 4 grand children takes
them to a garden without taking the same 3
children together
(ii) How frequently a particular child goes.
Q. 7 different colours of rainbow are to be
arranged so that blue & green never come
together.
Q. An n digit number is a positive number with
exactly n digits. Nine hundred distinct n-digit
numbers are to be formed using only the three
digits 2, 5 and 7. The smallest value of n for
which this is possible, is [IIT-JEE 1998]
(A) 216 (B) 240 (C) 600 (D) 3125
Q. Number of words with 10 different
consonants & 4 different vowels
(i) If each word has 3 consonant and 2
vowels
Q. Number of words with 10 different
consonants & 4 different vowels
(ii) If each word has 3 consonant and 2
vowels and begins with a consonant.
Q. Number of words with 10 different
consonants & 4 different vowels
(iii) If each word has 3 consonant and 2
vowels and terminal letters are vowel
Q. Number of words with 10 different
consonants & 4 different vowels
(iv) If each word has 3 consonant and 2
vowels are not together
Q. Number of words with 10 different
consonants & 4 different vowels
(v) If each word has 3 Consonants and 2
Vowels and Vowels occupy odd position
Q. In morse telegraphy there are four arms &
each arm is capable of taking 5 distinct
position including position of rest. How many
different signals can be transferred.
Q. Number of ways in which 5 different books
can be distributed between 3 children if each
child gets at least one book. [IIT-JEE 2012]
Q. Boat Problem :
An 8 oared boat to be manned from a crew of
11 of whom 3 can only steer but can not row.
8 can row but can not steer. In how many
ways the staff can be arranged if two of the
men can only row on bow side.
Q. 4 boys and 4 girls are to be seated in a line. Find
(i) Number of ways they can be seated
Q. 4 boys and 4 girls are to be seated in a line. Find
(ii) No two girls are together
Q. 4 boys and 4 girls are to be seated in a line. Find
(iii) A least one girl is separated from rest of
the girls/ Not all girls are together
Q. 4 boys and 4 girls are to be seated in a line. Find
(iv) Girls and Boys are alternate
Q. 4 boys and 4 girls are to be seated in a line. Find
(v) Boys & Girls alternate & a particular
boy & girl are always together.
Q. 4 boys and 4 girls are to be seated in a line. Find
(vi) A particular boy and girl are never
adjacent to each other.
Q. 4 boys and 4 girls are to be seated in a line. Find
(vii) If they are 4 married couples then
number of ways if each couple is together.
Q. 8 straight lines & 6 circles lie in a plane. Find
maximum number of their intersection points.
Q. A cricket team comprising of A,B,C,…….J, K
is to be sent for batting. If ‘A’ wants to bat
before ‘J’ and ‘J’ wants to bat after G. Then the
number of batting orders if other players could
go in any order.
 Formation of Group
Every selection has a corresponding rejection
resulting in formation of two groups / teams / sets

Number of ways to form 2 teams each containing 2

players

Number of ways to form 2 teams one containing 1

player and other 2 player

Number of ways to form 2 groups each containing

three elements
 Example
Q. Number of ways in which 6 toys can be
distributed equally between Kamla, Vimla,
Sweety.
Q. Number of ways in which 30 soldiers can be
deputed equally on 3 border post.
Q. Number of ways in which 200 people can be
divided into 100 couples.
Q. Numbers of ways in which 12 different books
can be tide up in 3 bundles one containing 2
and the other 2 containing 5 books.
Q. 6 different books to be distributed between
Kamla, Vimla, Sweety. If each girls gets
atleast one book ?
Q. 8 different computer are to be distributed in 5
schools. If each school gets at least one
computer. Find number of ways to distribute ?
Q. For a game in which every pair has to play
with every other pair, 6 men are available
number of games which can be played ?
Q. Number of ways in which 8 person can be
seated in three different taxies each having
three seats for passengers and duly numbered.
(i) If internal arrangement matters.
(ii) If Internal arrangement of persons inside
the taxi is immaterial.
Q. In a jeep there are 3 seats in front & 3 at back.
Number of ways 6 persons of different height
be seated So that every one in front is shorter
than the person directly behind him.
Q. A rack has 5 different pairs of shoes. Number
of ways in which 4 shoes can be chosen from
it, so that there is no complete pair.
Q. 6 newly married couples are in a Birthday
Party. In how many ways 4 persons can be
selected so that they form :
(i) No couple
Q. 6 newly married couples are in a Birthday
Party. In how many ways 4 persons can be
selected so that they form :
(ii) Exactly 1 couple
Q. 6 newly married couples are in a Birthday
Party. In how many ways 4 persons can be
selected so that they form :
(iii) At least 1 couple
Q. 6 newly married couples are in a Birthday
Party. In how many ways 4 persons can be
selected so that they form :
(iv) At most 1 couple
Arrangement of alike objects
 Example
Q. How many different words can be formed
using all letters of the word
MAHABHARAT ?
Q. 21 white & 19 black balls are arranged in a
line. Balls of same colour are alike. Find no of
arrangements if black balls are separated ?
Q. How many different nine digit numbers can be
formed from the number 22,33,55,888 by
rearranging its digits so that the odd digits
occupy even position [IIT-JEE 2000]
(A) 16 (B) 36 (C) 60 (D) 180
Q. The number of arrangements of the letters of
the word BANANA in which the two N’s do
not appear adjacently, is [IIT-JEE 2002]
(A) 40 (B) 60 (C) 80 (D) 100
Q. ASSASSINATION ?
(i) Ways to arrange such that no two vowels
are consecutive ?
Q. ASSASSINATION ?
(ii) Ways to arrange no two ‘S’ occur
together
Q. ASSASSINATION ?
(iii) Ways to arrange keeping position of each
vowel fixed
Q. ASSASSINATION ?
(iv) Ways to arrange without changing
relative order of vowels and consonants.
Q. Number of numbers greater than a million using
digits 0, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5. Of these how many are
divisible by 5.
Q. The letters of the word COCHIN are permuted
and all the permutations are arranged in an
alphabetical order as in an English dictionary.
The number of words that appear before the
word COCHIN is [IIT-JEE 2007]
(A) 360 (B) 192 (C) 96 (D) 48
Q. How many different words can be formed
using all the letters of the words HONOLULU
if no two alike letters are together.
Q. How many 8 digit numbers can be formed
using two 1’s, two 2’s, two 3’s, one 4 and one
5 so that no two consecutive digits are
identical.
Q. The number of seven digit integers, with sum
of the digits equal to 10 and formed by using
the digits 1, 2 and 3 only is [IIT-JEE 2009]
(A) 55 (B) 66 (C) 77 (D) 88
Q. Number of 7 digit numbers if sum of their
digits is (i) 63 (ii) 62 (iii) 61 (iv) 60.
Selection of Identical Objects
 Example
Q. Number of ways of selecting 5 letters from
MISSISSIPPI ?
Q. Number of ways of selecting 5 letters from
INDEPENDENCE.
Q. How many 6-letter words can be formed from
INTEGRATION if each word has 3 vowels &
3 consonants ?
Q. Number of numbers greater than 1000 from the
digits 1,1,2,3,4,0 taken 4 at a time ?
 Circular Permutation
Ways to arrange n different things taken all at a time
=
Ways to permute ‘n’ objects
taken ‘r’ at a time
n
Cr (r – 1) !
 Example
Q. Number of ways in which 7 Chinese & 7
Indians can be seated on a round table, so that
no two Indians are together ?
Q. Number of ways in which 5 boys and 5 girls
can be seated on a circle alternatly if a
particular B1 and G1 are never adjacent to each
other in any arrangement.
Q. Out of 10 flowers of different colours, how
many different garlands can be made if each
garland consists of 6 flower of different colour.
Q. 16 knights are sitting on a round table. 7
knights are required to rescue Sudip. Every
consecutive knight is hostile to each other.
Number of ways a team of 7 knights such that
no two hostile knights team up ?
Q. ‘n’ people are sitting in a circle. Number of
ways in which 3 people can be selected if no of
two them are consecutive ?
Q. How many hexagons can be constructed by
joining vertices of a quindecagon (15 sides) if
none of the sides of hexagon are also the side
of quindecagon ?
 Total Number of selections
Selecting atleast one out of n different things

Total number of selections when ‘p’ alike of one

kind ‘q’ alike of another kind & ‘r’ alike of another
kind.
Q. Out of 3 different Maths ‘4’ different physics
& ‘5’ different chemistry books, how many
different selections can be made so that the
selection consists of
(i) Exactly one book on each subject ?
Q. Out of 3 different Maths ‘4’ different physics
& ‘5’ different chemistry books, how many
different selections can be made so that the
selection consists of
(ii) Atleast one book on each subject.
Q. Out of 2 grapes, 3 mangoes & 4 apples, how
many different selections of fruits can be made
if each selection has
(i) Atleast one fruit of every species.
Q. Out of 2 grapes, 3 mangoes & 4 apples, how
many different selections of fruits can be made
if each selection has
(ii) Atleast one fruit.
Q. Consider the number N = 75600
(i) Number of divisors ?
Q. Consider the number N = 75600
(ii) Number of proper divisors ?
Q. Consider the number N = 75600
(iii) Number of odd divisors ?
Q. Consider the number N = 75600
(iv) Number of even divisors ?
Q. Consider the number N = 75600
(v) Number of divisors divisible by 5 ?
Q. Consider the number N = 75600
(vi) Number of divisors divisible by 10 ?
Q. Consider the number N = 75600
(vii) Number of divisors divisible by 12 ?
Q. Consider the number N = 75600
(viii) Sum of all the divisors ?
Q. Consider the number N = 75600
(ix) Number of ways in which N can be
resolved as a product of two divisors ?
Q. Consider the number N = 75600
(x) Number of ways in which N can be
resolved as a product of two divisors which
are relatively prime.
Q. Number of divisors of the form (4n + 2), n > 0
of the integer 240 is [IIT-JEE 1998]
(A) 4 (B) 8 (C) 10 (D) 3
 Summation of Numbers
Q. Sum of all the numbers greater than 10000
formed by the digits 1,3,5,7,9 no digit being
repeated.
Method - 1
Method - 2
Method - 3
 Example
Q. Sum of all the numbers greater than 10000
formed by the digits 0,2,4,6,8 no digit being
repeated.
Q. Sum of all the numbers greater than 10000
formed by the digits 0,1,2,4,5 no digit being
repeated.
Q. Sum of all distinct four digit numbers that
contain only the digits 1,2,3,4,5 each atmost
once is given by
Distribution of alike objects
Beggar Method
 Example
Q. Number of ways to distribute 10 identical
coins to 3 beggars K/B/S each getting none,
one or more ?
Q. A shelf contains 6 separate compartments.
Number of ways in which 12 indistinguishable
(like) marbles can be placed in the
compartments so that no compartment is
empty.
Q. Number of natural solutions of
x + y + z =102 ?
Q. Number of non-negative integral solution of
the inequality
Q. Number of points with integral co-ordinates
that lie inside a triangle whose co-ordinates as
(0, 0), (0, 102), (102, 0) is ?
Q. Number of ways 30 marks can be allotted to 8
questions if atleast 2 marks are to be given to
each question assuming that marks are to be
allotted in non-negative integral values ?
Q. There are unlimited no. of red, white, blue,
green balls. They are all alike except for the
colour.
(i) Number of ways is which selection of 10
balls can be made ?
Q. There are unlimited no. of red, white, blue,
green balls. They are all alike except for the
colour.
(ii) Number of ways in which selection of 10
balls containing balls of all four different
colours?
Q. A man has to buy 25 mangoes in 4 different
varieties. Buying atleast 4 of each variety. In
how many ways can he plan his purchase if
mangoes of each variety are identical &
available in abundance ?
Q. Number of different throws in a throw of ‘n’
alike dice.
Q. Number of ways in which 2 apples, 3 oranges
and 4 mangoes can be distributed between R|S|
G if each child receives none, one or more
number of fruits. (Fruits of the same species
are alike)
Q. A super market offers ice-cream in 10 different
varieties. Ice-creams of each variety are
identical. In how many ways.
(i) 4 ice-creams can be selected without any
restriction.
Q. A super market offers ice-cream in 10 different
varieties. Ice-creams of each variety are
identical. In how many ways.
(ii) Atleast 2 ice-cream of same variety are
taken.
 n
Maximizing Cr
Q. There are ‘2n’ letters which are either a’s or
b’s, find maximum number of arrangement of
these letters ?
Q. A man wants to give as many number of
parties as he can out of his 20 friends by
calling the same number of people but not the
same group. How many should he call so that
number parties is maximum ?
Grid Problem
 Example
Q. Number of ways an ant can reach from (1, 1)
to (4, 5) via shortest path ?
Q. Number of ways to move from (0, 0) to (7, 8)
via (4, 5) ?
Dearrangement
 Example
Q. Two letters are to be kept in 2 directed
envelopes. Number of ways they can be placed
if none of the letter goes into its own envelope ?
Q. Three letters are to be kept in 3 directed
envelopes. Number of ways they can be placed
if none of the letter goes into its own envelope ?
Q. Four letters are to be kept in 4 directed
envelopes. Number of ways they can be placed
if none of the letter goes into its own envelope ?
 Coefficient Method
(To be done in binomial)
Coefficient of xr in (1 – x)–n = n + r – 1Cr
 Example
Q. In an exam maximum marks for each of the 3
papers are 50 each and for the 4 th paper 100.
Number of ways in which a person can secure
60% marks.
Q. 3 different dice are thrown. Number of ways in
which a total of k can be had.
Q. Show that the number of different selections of
5 letters which can be made from five a’s four
b’s three 3 c’s: two d’s and one e is 71.
Q. Prove that the number of combinations of n
letters out of 3n letters of which n are ‘a’ and n
n–1
are ‘b’ and the rest unlike is (n + 2) 2 .
Q. A bag contains 6n tickets numbered from 0, 1,
2…. 6n – 1. In how many ways 3 tickets can
be selected so that the sum of the numbers
shown on them is equal to 6n.
Q. In a shooting competition a man can score 0, 2,
3, 4 or 5 points for each shot number of ways
in which he can secure 30 in 7 shot.
 IIT Questions
[Fill in the Blanks]
Q.1 In a certain test, ai, students gave wrong answer
to at least i question, where i = 1, 2, ….., k. No
student gave more than k wrong answers. The
total number of wrong answer given is …….
[IIT-JEE 1982]
Q.2 Total number of ways in which six ‘+’ and four
‘-’ sings can be arranged in a line such that no
two ‘-’ sings occur together is ……
[IIT-JEE 1988]
Q.3 There are four balls of different colours and
four boxes of colours, same as those of the
balls. The numbers of ways in which the balls,
one each in a box, could be placed such that a
ball does not go to a box of its own colour
is….. [IIT-JEE 1988]
 IIT Questions
[Analytical & Descriptive Questions]
Q.1 Five balls of different colours are to be placed in
three boxes of different sizes. Each box can hold
all five. In how many different ways can we
place the balls so that no box remains empty ?
[IIT-JEE 1981]
Q.2 m men and n women are to be seated in a row so
that no two women sit together. If m > n, then
show that the number of ways in which they can
be seated, is [IIT-JEE 1983]
Q.3 7 relatives of a man comprise 4 ladies and 3
gentlemen, his wife has also 7 relatives ; 3 of
them are ladies and 3 gentlemen. In how many
ways can they invite a dinner party of 3 ladies
and 3 gentlemen so that there are 3 man’s
relative and 3 of the wife’s relatives ?
[IIT-JEE 1982]
Q.4 A box contains two white ball, three black
balls and four red balls. In how many ways can
three balls be drawn from the box, if at least
one black ball is to be included in the draw ?

[IIT-JEE 1986]
Q.5 A student is allowed to select atmost n books
from n collection of (2n + 1) books. If the total
number of ways in which be can select at least
one books is 63, find the value of n.
Q.6 Eighteen guests have to be seated half on each
side of a long table. Four particular guests
desire to sit on one particular side and three
other on the other side. Determine the number
of ways in which the sitting arrangement can
be made.
[IIT-JEE 1991]
Q.7 A committee of 12 is to be formed from 9
women and 8 men. In how many ways this can
be done if at least five women have to be
included in a committee ? In how many of
these committees
(a) the women are in majority ?
(b) the men are in majority ?
[IIT-JEE 1994]
Q.8 Using permutation or otherwise, prove that
is an integer, where n is a positive
integer.

[IIT-JEE 2004]
Q.9 Two planes P1 and P2 pass through origin. Two
lines L1 and L2 also passing through origin are
such that L1 lies on P1 but not on P2, L2 lies on
P2 but not on P1, A, B, C are three points other
than origin, then prove that the permutation
[A′ B′ C′] of [ABC] exists. Such that
(a) A lies on L1, B lies on P1 not on L1, does not
lie on P1.
(b) A′ lies on L2, B lies on P2 no on L2, C does
not lies on P2.
[IIT-JEE 2004]