Permutations and Combinations
Permutations of \(n\) distinct items
This is a common job & internship interview question! See Section 6.6 of your textbook for an algorithm that
generates permutations in a lexicographic order. The algorithm is very space efficient. In fact, the algorithm that
I use here is that one.
Select \(r\) indistinguishable objects from \(n\) types with repetition
This corresponds to Section 6.5.3 of the textbook (\(8^{th}\) ed.), and may help with visualizing why the number of
distinct ways
of taking \(r\) items, out of of \(n\) different items each of which is available in unlimited supply is
\[C(n + r - 1, r)\]