In algebra, you use permutations to count the number of subsets of a larger set. Use permutations when order is necessary. With combinations, you can count the number of subsets when order doesn't matter. The formulas you need are
In algebra, you use permutations to count the number of subsets of a larger set. Use permutations when order is necessary. With combinations, you can count the number of subsets when order doesn't matter. The formulas you need are
Mary Jane Sterling is the author of Algebra I For Dummies, Algebra Workbook For Dummies, and many other For Dummies books. She taught at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois for more than 30 years, teaching algebra, business calculus, geometry, and finite mathematics.