Combinations of 6 taken 4 at a time

In summary, the calculation 6C4 shows that there are 15 distinct combinations when order does not matter. This can also be seen by counting the ways of leaving two numbers out. The number of permutations, 6P4, is larger because it takes order into account.
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Vector1962
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the calculation 6C4 shows 15 but what if all sets are to be distinct?
the calculation 6C4 shows 15 but what if all sets are to be distinct? meaning 1,2,3,4 is the same as 4,3,2,1. I made a tree diagram and i get 10... assuming i did that correctly...?
 
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Vector1962 said:
Summary:: the calculation 6C4 shows 15 but what if all sets are to be distinct?

the calculation 6C4 shows 15 but what if all sets are to be distinct? meaning 1,2,3,4 is the same as 4,3,2,1. I made a tree diagram and i get 10... assuming i did that correctly...?
There are definitely 15 distinct combinations. It's easier to count all the ways of leaving two numbers out.
 
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6C4 is the number of combinations, meaning that order does not matter. 6P4 is the number of permutations, meaning that order does matter.
6C4 = 6!/(4!*2!) = 30/2=15.
6P4 = 6!/2! = 720/2 = 360.
The extra 4! in the denominator of 6C4 divides by the number of ways that the 4 selected can be ordered, so the result is the number of possibilities ignoring their order.
 
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1. What is the formula for calculating combinations of 6 taken 4 at a time?

The formula for calculating combinations of 6 taken 4 at a time is nCr = n! / (r!(n-r)!), where n represents the total number of items and r represents the number of items being chosen at a time.

2. How many combinations are there of 6 items taken 4 at a time?

There are 15 combinations of 6 items taken 4 at a time. This can be calculated using the formula nCr = 6! / (4!(6-4)!), which simplifies to 6! / (4!2!).

3. How can combinations of 6 taken 4 at a time be represented visually?

Combinations of 6 taken 4 at a time can be represented visually using a combination triangle or Pascal's triangle. Each number in the triangle represents the number of combinations for that particular row and column.

4. How do combinations of 6 taken 4 at a time differ from permutations of 6 taken 4 at a time?

Combinations of 6 taken 4 at a time differ from permutations of 6 taken 4 at a time in that combinations do not take into account the order in which the items are chosen, while permutations do. In other words, combinations only care about which items are chosen, while permutations consider the order in which they are chosen.

5. How can combinations of 6 taken 4 at a time be used in real-life scenarios?

Combinations of 6 taken 4 at a time can be used in various real-life scenarios, such as in lottery games, where players choose a set of numbers from a larger pool. It can also be used in statistical analysis, such as in surveys where a certain number of questions are selected from a larger set of questions.

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