Combinations and Permutations

Free SOA Exam P (Probability) lesson in General Probability. 15 min read, ~2,216 words.

Permutations (order matters):. Combinations (order doesn't):. Key question: does rearranging the selected objects create a different outcome? Yes = permutation. No = combination. Multinomial coefficient:, arrangements with repeated identical objects. Stars and bars: distributes identical objects into distinct bins. Circular permutations:, rotations are equivalent.

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