nCr : "from n choose r"
n = length of possibility set (ex. 5 letters)
r = length of combination set (ex. pick 2)
Permutation with Repetition
Order matters and elements of the possibility set can be repeated.
nr
| a | b | c | d | e |
a | aa | ab | ac | ad | ae |
b | ba | bb | bc | bd | be |
c | ca | cb | cc | cd | ce |
d | da | db | dc | dd | de |
e | ea | eb | ec | ed | ee |
Permutation without Repetition
Order still matters, but elements cannot be repeated.
n!
(n-r)!
| a | b | c | d | e |
a | | ab | ac | ad | ae |
b | ba | | bc | bd | be |
c | ca | cb | | cd | ce |
d | da | db | dc | | de |
e | ea | eb | ec | ed | |
Combination without Repetition
Order does not matter, and elements cannot be repeated.
n!
r!(n-r)!
| a | b | c | d | e |
a | | ab | ac | ad | ae |
b | | | bc | bd | be |
c | | | | cd | ce |
d | | | | | de |
e | | | | | |
Combination with Repetition
Order does not matter, but elements can be repeated.
(n+r-1)!
r!(n-1)!
| a | b | c | d | e |
a | aa | ab | ac | ad | ae |
b | | bb | bc | bd | be |
c | | | cc | cd | ce |
d | | | | dd | de |
e | | | | | ee |