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Statistical function
PERMUT
Returns the number of ordered arrangements of k items chosen from n.
Rarely usedDifficulty 1250 · ProficientUsage rank #285 of 520
When to use it
Number of ordered arrangements of k items chosen from n. Use it when order matters: finishing positions, PIN codes without repeats, seating a subset.
The shape of it
- Syntax
=PERMUT(number, number_chosen)
Worked examples
Podium places
=PERMUT(5,2) → 20
First and second place from five runners.
Codes without repeats
=PERMUT(10,3) → 720
Three-digit codes with no repeated digit.
Full orderings
=PERMUT(4,4) → 24
Every ordering of four items; the same as FACT(4).
Worth knowing
- COMBIN is the unordered version: PERMUT(n,k) = COMBIN(n,k) × FACT(k).
- PERMUTATIONA allows repeats.
- Non-integers are truncated first.
Where it goes wrong
- #NUM! when k exceeds n or either is negative.
- Large n overflows quickly; PERMUT(200,100) is beyond double precision.
Related
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