Permutations and Combinations
Odisha Board · Class 11 · Mathematics
NCERT Solutions for Permutations and Combinations — Odisha Board Class 11 Mathematics.
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Exercise 6.1
1How many 3-digit numbers can be formed from the digits 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 assuming that (i) repetition of the digits is allowed? (ii) repetition of the digits is not allowed?Show solution
(i) Repetition allowed:
Each of the 3 places (hundreds, tens, units) can be filled by any of the 5 digits.
By the Fundamental Principle of Counting:
(ii) Repetition not allowed:
- Hundreds place: 5 choices
- Tens place: 4 choices (one digit used)
- Units place: 3 choices (two digits used)
2How many 3-digit even numbers can be formed from the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 if the digits can be repeated?Show solution
For a number to be even, the units digit must be even: 2, 4, or 6 → 3 choices.
- Units place: 3 choices (2, 4, or 6)
- Tens place: 6 choices (any digit, repetition allowed)
- Hundreds place: 6 choices
By the Fundamental Principle of Counting:
3How many 4-letter codes can be formed using the first 10 letters of the English alphabet, if no letter can be repeated?Show solution
This is the number of permutations of 10 letters taken 4 at a time:
Therefore, 5040 four-letter codes can be formed.
4How many 5-digit telephone numbers can be constructed using the digits 0 to 9 if each number starts with 67 and no digit appears more than once?Show solution
Since the number starts with 67, the first two digits are fixed: 6 and 7.
Remaining digits available: 10 − 2 = 8 digits (0,1,2,3,4,5,8,9).
We need to fill 3 more places (3rd, 4th, 5th digits) from these 8 digits without repetition:
- 3rd place: 8 choices
- 4th place: 7 choices
- 5th place: 6 choices
5A coin is tossed 3 times and the outcomes are recorded. How many possible outcomes are there?Show solution
By the Fundamental Principle of Counting:
There are 8 possible outcomes.
6Given 5 flags of different colours, how many different signals can be generated if each signal requires the use of 2 flags, one below the other?Show solution
This is the number of permutations of 5 flags taken 2 at a time:
Therefore, 20 different signals can be generated.
Exercise 6.2
1Evaluate (i) 8! (ii) 4! − 3!Show solution
(ii)
2Is ?Show solution
Since ,
No, .
3Compute Show solution
4If , find .Show solution
Rewrite using and :
Divide throughout by :
Therefore, .
5Evaluate , when (i) (ii) .Show solution
(i) :
(ii) :
Exercise 6.3
1How many 3-digit numbers can be formed by using the digits 1 to 9 if no digit is repeated?Show solution
This is :
504 three-digit numbers can be formed.
2How many 4-digit numbers are there with no digit repeated?Show solution
The thousands place cannot be 0, so:
- Thousands place: 9 choices (1–9)
- Hundreds place: 9 choices (0 and remaining 8 digits)
- Tens place: 8 choices
- Units place: 7 choices
There are 4536 four-digit numbers with no digit repeated.
3How many 3-digit even numbers can be made using the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, if no digit is repeated?Show solution
Even digits available: 2, 4, 6 → units place has 3 choices.
After fixing units digit:
- Hundreds place: 5 choices (from remaining 5 digits)
- Tens place: 4 choices
60 three-digit even numbers can be formed.
4Find the number of 4-digit numbers that can be formed using the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 if no digit is repeated. How many of these will be even?Show solution
Total 4-digit numbers:
Even 4-digit numbers:
For the number to be even, units digit must be 2 or 4 → 2 choices.
Remaining 3 places filled from remaining 4 digits:
Total 4-digit numbers = 120; Even 4-digit numbers = 48.
5From a committee of 8 persons, in how many ways can we choose a chairman and a vice chairman assuming one person cannot hold more than one position?Show solution
- Chairman: 8 choices
- Vice Chairman: 7 choices (remaining persons)
The chairman and vice chairman can be chosen in 56 ways.
6Find if .Show solution
7Find if (i) (ii) .Show solution
Divide both sides by :
or . Since (for to be defined), is rejected.
(ii) :
Divide both sides by :
or . Since , is rejected.
8How many words, with or without meaning, can be formed using all the letters of the word EQUATION, using each letter exactly once?Show solution
Number of arrangements of 8 distinct letters:
40320 words can be formed.
9How many words, with or without meaning can be made from the letters of the word MONDAY, assuming that no letter is repeated, if (i) 4 letters are used at a time, (ii) all letters are used at a time, (iii) all letters are used but first letter is a vowel?Show solution
(i) 4 letters at a time:
(ii) All 6 letters at a time:
(iii) All 6 letters, first letter is a vowel:
- First place: 2 choices (O or A)
- Remaining 5 places: arrangements of remaining 5 letters
10In how many of the distinct permutations of the letters in MISSISSIPPI do the four I's not come together?Show solution
Total distinct permutations:
Permutations where all four I's come together:
Treat IIII as one unit → 8 units: M, (IIII), S, S, S, S, P, P
Permutations where four I's do NOT come together:
11In how many ways can the letters of the word PERMUTATIONS be arranged if the (i) words start with P and end with S, (ii) vowels are all together, (iii) there are always 4 letters between P and S?Show solution
Total letters = 12, with T repeated 2 times.
(i) Words start with P and end with S:
Fix P at the first position and S at the last. Remaining 10 letters (including T twice) arranged in 10 places:
(ii) Vowels are all together:
Vowels in PERMUTATIONS: E, U, A, I, O → 5 vowels (all distinct).
Treat the 5 vowels as one unit. Now we have 8 units: (EUAIO), P, R, M, T, T, N, S.
Arrangements of these 8 units (T repeated twice):
The 5 vowels within the unit can be arranged in:
(iii) There are always 4 letters between P and S:
We need to find positions for P and S such that exactly 4 letters lie between them.
Possible position pairs (P at position , S at position , with ):
Pairs where difference is 5: (1,6),(2,7),(3,8),(4,9),(5,10),(6,11),(7,12) → 7 pairs.
P and S can be interchanged, so total arrangements of P and S = .
Remaining 10 letters (with T twice) fill the other 10 positions:
Exercise 6.4
1If , find .Show solution
Using the property :
If , then either (impossible) or , giving .
Now:
.
2Determine if (i) (ii) Show solution
(ii) :
3How many chords can be drawn through 21 points on a circle?Show solution
210 chords can be drawn.
4In how many ways can a team of 3 boys and 3 girls be selected from 5 boys and 4 girls?Show solution
The team can be selected in 40 ways.
5Find the number of ways of selecting 9 balls from 6 red balls, 5 white balls and 5 blue balls if each selection consists of 3 balls of each colour.Show solution
The number of ways is 2000.
6Determine the number of 5 card combinations out of a deck of 52 cards if there is exactly one ace in each combination.Show solution
- Choose 1 ace from 4:
- Choose 4 non-ace cards from 48:
The number of 5-card combinations is 778320.
7In how many ways can one select a cricket team of eleven from 17 players in which only 5 players can bowl if each cricket team of 11 must include exactly 4 bowlers?Show solution
- Choose 4 bowlers from 5:
- Choose 7 non-bowlers from 12:
The cricket team can be selected in 3960 ways.
8A bag contains 5 black and 6 red balls. Determine the number of ways in which 2 black and 3 red balls can be selected.Show solution
The balls can be selected in 200 ways.
9In how many ways can a student choose a programme of 5 courses if 9 courses are available and 2 specific courses are compulsory for every student?Show solution
Since 2 courses are compulsory, the student needs to choose more courses from the remaining courses.
The student can choose the programme in 35 ways.
Miscellaneous Exercise on Chapter 6
1How many words, with or without meaning, each of 2 vowels and 3 consonants can be formed from the letters of the word DAUGHTER?Show solution
Vowels: A, U, E → 3 vowels
Consonants: D, G, H, T, R → 5 consonants
Step 1: Choose 2 vowels from 3:
Step 2: Choose 3 consonants from 5:
Step 3: Arrange the selected 5 letters:
Total words:
3600 words can be formed.
2How many words, with or without meaning, can be formed using all the letters of the word EQUATION at a time so that the vowels and consonants occur together?Show solution
Vowels: E, U, A, I, O → 5 vowels
Consonants: Q, T, N → 3 consonants
For vowels and consonants to occur together, treat all vowels as one group and all consonants as one group.
Step 1: Arrange the 2 groups:
Step 2: Arrange 5 vowels within their group:
Step 3: Arrange 3 consonants within their group:
Total:
1440 words can be formed.
3A committee of 7 has to be formed from 9 boys and 4 girls. In how many ways can this be done when the committee consists of: (i) exactly 3 girls? (ii) atleast 3 girls? (iii) atmost 3 girls?Show solution
(i) Exactly 3 girls:
Choose 3 girls from 4 and 4 boys from 9:
(ii) At least 3 girls (3 or 4 girls):
- Exactly 3 girls:
- Exactly 4 girls:
(iii) At most 3 girls (0, 1, 2, or 3 girls):
Total ways to form committee of 7 from 13 people:
At most 3 girls = Total − (at least 4 girls) = Total − (exactly 4 girls)
Answers: (i) 504, (ii) 588, (iii) 1632.
4If the different permutations of all the letters of the word EXAMINATION are listed as in a dictionary, how many words are there in this list before the first word starting with E?Show solution
Letter frequencies: A(2), I(2), N(2), E(1), X(1), M(1), T(1), O(1). Total = 11 letters.
Words before those starting with E are words starting with A.
Words starting with A:
Fix A at first position. Remaining 10 letters: E, X, A, M, I, N, T, I, O, N
Frequencies in remaining: I(2), N(2), and E, X, A, M, T, O each once.
There are 907200 words before the first word starting with E.
5How many 6-digit numbers can be formed from the digits 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 which are divisible by 10 and no digit is repeated?Show solution
For divisibility by 10, the units digit must be 0.
Fix 0 at the units place. Remaining 5 digits (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) fill the first 5 places.
The first place (ten-thousands/leftmost) can be any of the 5 remaining digits (all non-zero, so no restriction).
120 six-digit numbers can be formed.
6The English alphabet has 5 vowels and 21 consonants. How many words with two different vowels and 2 different consonants can be formed from the alphabet?Show solution
Step 1: Choose 2 vowels from 5:
Step 2: Choose 2 consonants from 21:
Step 3: Arrange the 4 selected letters:
Total:
50400 words can be formed.
7In an examination, a question paper consists of 12 questions divided into two parts i.e., Part I and Part II, containing 5 and 7 questions, respectively. A student is required to attempt 8 questions in all, selecting at least 3 from each part. In how many ways can a student select the questions?Show solution
Possible distributions (Part I : Part II):
- 3 from Part I and 5 from Part II
- 4 from Part I and 4 from Part II
- 5 from Part I and 3 from Part II
Case 1: 3 from Part I, 5 from Part II:
Case 2: 4 from Part I, 4 from Part II:
Case 3: 5 from Part I, 3 from Part II:
Total:
The student can select questions in 420 ways.
8Determine the number of 5-card combinations out of a deck of 52 cards if each selection of 5 cards has exactly one king.Show solution
- Choose 1 king from 4:
- Choose 4 non-king cards from 48:
The number of 5-card combinations is 778320.
9It is required to seat 5 men and 4 women in a row so that the women occupy the even places. How many such arrangements are possible?Show solution
Even places in a row of 9: positions 2, 4, 6, 8 → 4 even places.
- Arrange 4 women in 4 even places: ways
- Arrange 5 men in 5 odd places (1, 3, 5, 7, 9): ways
2880 arrangements are possible.
10From a class of 25 students, 10 are to be chosen for an excursion party. There are 3 students who decide that either all of them will join or none of them will join. In how many ways can the excursion party be chosen?Show solution
Case 1: All 3 join.
Choose remaining 7 from the other 22 students:
Case 2: None of the 3 join.
Choose all 10 from the remaining 22 students:
Total:
The excursion party can be chosen in 817190 ways.
11In how many ways can the letters of the word ASSASSINATION be arranged so that all the S's are together?Show solution
Letter frequencies: A(3), S(4), I(2), N(2), T(1), O(1).
Treat all 4 S's as a single unit (SSSS). Now we have 10 units:
(SSSS), A, A, A, I, I, N, N, T, O
Frequencies in remaining: A(3), I(2), N(2), T(1), O(1).
The letters can be arranged in 151200 ways.
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