Pre-Calculus 12 · Data & Probability
Permutations and Combinations
How many ways can 8 runners finish a race? How many 5-card poker hands are possible? Permutations count ordered arrangements; combinations count unordered selections. The fundamental counting principle (multiply the choices) underpins both. The binomial theorem reveals that combinations appear as coefficients when expanding (a + b)^n — a beautiful connection between counting and algebra.
WHAT STUDENTS WILL LEARN
✓Apply the fundamental counting principle
✓Calculate permutations: ordered arrangements of distinct objects
✓Calculate combinations: unordered selections from a set
✓Apply the binomial theorem to expand (a + b)^n
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