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Math Definitions - Letter C


Chapters

Combination

Definition of Combination

Definition of Combination

A combination is an unordered selection of things.

For example, suppose you have red, green and yellow socks in your sock drawer, and that you are too lazy to fold them up, so they are all lying there higgledgy-piggledy. How many different combinations of two socks can you pull out of the drawer if you reach in without looking?

The order does not matter in this problem: a green and a red sock is exactly the same as a red and a green sock. The different combinations are:

{red,green}, {red, yellow}, {green, yellow}

So, there are three different possible combinations of socks.

Sometimes the order does matter. For example, when you are setting the code for a combination lock, the order is very important. In this case, we call the number of possible codes a permutation.

Description

The aim of this dictionary is to provide definitions to common mathematical terms. Students learn a new math skill every week at school, sometimes just before they start a new skill, if they want to look at what a specific term means, this is where this dictionary will become handy and a go-to guide for a student.



Audience

Year 1 to Year 12 students

Learning Objectives

Learn common math terms starting with letter C

Author: Subject Coach
Added on: 6th Feb 2018

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