Permutations and CombinationsMCQMTP May 19 IIQuestion 1724 of 249
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A man has 5 friends. In how many ways can be invite one or more of his friends to dinner?

Select Your Answer (Keyboard: A, B, C, D)
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Correct Answer

✅ Option b — 31

All Options:

  • A30
  • B31
  • C32
  • D10

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The man has 5\displaystyle 5 friends. He wants to invite **one or more** of his friends to dinner.

For each of the 5\displaystyle 5 friends, there are 2\displaystyle 2 possible choices:
1. The friend is **invited**
2. The friend is **not invited**

By the multiplication principle, the total number of ways to make choices for all 5\displaystyle 5 friends is:
Total Ways=25=32Total Ways=25=32\displaystyle \text{Total Ways} = 2^5 = 32
However, these $32waysincludethescenariowhere∗∗none∗∗ofthefriendsareinvited(eachfriendis"notinvited").Sincetheproblemstatesthathemustinvite∗∗oneormore∗∗(i.e.,atleast\displaystyle ways include the scenario where **none** of the friends are invited (each friend is "not invited"). Since the problem states that he must invite **one or more** (i.e., at least1$) of his friends, we must subtract the $1wayinwhichnobodyisinvited:<br><spanclass="katex−display"><spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katex−mathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"display="block"><semantics><mrow><mtext>Ways to invite one or more</mtext><mo>=</mo><msup><mn>2</mn><mn>5</mn></msup><mo>−</mo><mn>1</mn><mo>=</mo><mn>32</mn><mo>−</mo><mn>1</mn><mo>=</mo><mn>31</mn></mrow><annotationencoding="application/x−tex">Ways to invite one or more=25−1=32−1=31</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katex−html"aria−hidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.8778em;vertical−align:−0.1944em;"></span><spanclass="mordtext"><spanclass="mord">Ways to invite one or more</span></span><spanclass="mspace"style="margin−right:0.2778em;"></span><spanclass="mrel">=</span><spanclass="mspace"style="margin−right:0.2778em;"></span></span><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.9474em;vertical−align:−0.0833em;"></span><spanclass="mord"><spanclass="mord">2</span><spanclass="msupsub"><spanclass="vlist−t"><spanclass="vlist−r"><spanclass="vlist"style="height:0.8641em;"><spanstyle="top:−3.113em;margin−right:0.05em;"><spanclass="pstrut"style="height:2.7em;"></span><spanclass="sizingreset−size6size3mtight"><spanclass="mordmtight">5</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><spanclass="mspace"style="margin−right:0.2222em;"></span><spanclass="mbin">−</span><spanclass="mspace"style="margin−right:0.2222em;"></span></span><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.6444em;"></span><spanclass="mord">1</span><spanclass="mspace"style="margin−right:0.2778em;"></span><spanclass="mrel">=</span><spanclass="mspace"style="margin−right:0.2778em;"></span></span><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.7278em;vertical−align:−0.0833em;"></span><spanclass="mord">32</span><spanclass="mspace"style="margin−right:0.2222em;"></span><spanclass="mbin">−</span><spanclass="mspace"style="margin−right:0.2222em;"></span></span><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.6444em;"></span><spanclass="mord">1</span><spanclass="mspace"style="margin−right:0.2778em;"></span><spanclass="mrel">=</span><spanclass="mspace"style="margin−right:0.2778em;"></span></span><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.6444em;"></span><spanclass="mord">31</span></span></span></span></span><br>Alternatively,thiscanbecalculatedasthesumofchoosingexactly\displaystyle way in which nobody is invited:<br><span class="katex-display"><span class="katex"><span class="katex-mathml"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block"><semantics><mrow><mtext>Ways to invite one or more</mtext><mo>=</mo><msup><mn>2</mn><mn>5</mn></msup><mo>−</mo><mn>1</mn><mo>=</mo><mn>32</mn><mo>−</mo><mn>1</mn><mo>=</mo><mn>31</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">Ways to invite one or more=25−1=32−1=31\displaystyle \text{Ways to invite one or more} = 2^5 - 1 = 32 - 1 = 31</annotation></semantics></math></span><span class="katex-html" aria-hidden="true"><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.8778em;vertical-align:-0.1944em;"></span><span class="mord text"><span class="mord">Ways to invite one or more</span></span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2778em;"></span><span class="mrel">=</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2778em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.9474em;vertical-align:-0.0833em;"></span><span class="mord"><span class="mord">2</span><span class="msupsub"><span class="vlist-t"><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.8641em;"><span style="top:-3.113em;margin-right:0.05em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:2.7em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight">5</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span><span class="mbin">−</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.6444em;"></span><span class="mord">1</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2778em;"></span><span class="mrel">=</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2778em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.7278em;vertical-align:-0.0833em;"></span><span class="mord">32</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span><span class="mbin">−</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.6444em;"></span><span class="mord">1</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2778em;"></span><span class="mrel">=</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2778em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.6444em;"></span><span class="mord">31</span></span></span></span></span><br>Alternatively, this can be calculated as the sum of choosing exactly1,\displaystyle ,2,\displaystyle ,3,\displaystyle ,4,or\displaystyle , or5\displaystyle friends:<br><span class="katex-display"><span class="katex"><span class="katex-mathml"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block"><semantics><mrow><mtext>Ways</mtext><msup><mo>=</mo><mn>5</mn></msup><msub><mi>C</mi><mn>1</mn></msub><msup><mo>+</mo><mn>5</mn></msup><msub><mi>C</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><msup><mo>+</mo><mn>5</mn></msup><msub><mi>C</mi><mn>3</mn></msub><msup><mo>+</mo><mn>5</mn></msup><msub><mi>C</mi><mn>4</mn></msub><msup><mo>+</mo><mn>5</mn></msup><msub><mi>C</mi><mn>5</mn></msub></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">Ways=5C1+5C2+5C3+5C4+5C5\displaystyle \text{Ways} = ^{5}C_{1} + ^{5}C_{2} + ^{5}C_{3} + ^{5}C_{4} + ^{5}C_{5}</annotation></semantics></math></span><span class="katex-html" aria-hidden="true"><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:1.0585em;vertical-align:-0.1944em;"></span><span class="mord text"><span class="mord">Ways</span></span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2778em;"></span><span class="mrel"><span class="mrel">=</span><span class="msupsub"><span class="vlist-t"><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.8641em;"><span style="top:-3.113em;margin-right:0.05em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:2.7em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">5</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2778em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:1.0141em;vertical-align:-0.15em;"></span><span class="mord"><span class="mord mathnormal" style="margin-right:0.07153em;">C</span><span class="msupsub"><span class="vlist-t vlist-t2"><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.3011em;"><span style="top:-2.55em;margin-left:-0.0715em;margin-right:0.05em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:2.7em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">1</span></span></span></span></span><span class="vlist-s">​</span></span><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.15em;"><span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span><span class="mbin"><span class="mbin">+</span><span class="msupsub"><span class="vlist-t"><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.8641em;"><span style="top:-3.113em;margin-right:0.05em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:2.7em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">5</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:1.0141em;vertical-align:-0.15em;"></span><span class="mord"><span class="mord mathnormal" style="margin-right:0.07153em;">C</span><span class="msupsub"><span class="vlist-t vlist-t2"><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.3011em;"><span style="top:-2.55em;margin-left:-0.0715em;margin-right:0.05em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:2.7em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">2</span></span></span></span></span><span class="vlist-s">​</span></span><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.15em;"><span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span><span class="mbin"><span class="mbin">+</span><span class="msupsub"><span class="vlist-t"><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.8641em;"><span style="top:-3.113em;margin-right:0.05em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:2.7em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">5</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:1.0141em;vertical-align:-0.15em;"></span><span class="mord"><span class="mord mathnormal" style="margin-right:0.07153em;">C</span><span class="msupsub"><span class="vlist-t vlist-t2"><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.3011em;"><span style="top:-2.55em;margin-left:-0.0715em;margin-right:0.05em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:2.7em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">3</span></span></span></span></span><span class="vlist-s">​</span></span><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.15em;"><span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span><span class="mbin"><span class="mbin">+</span><span class="msupsub"><span class="vlist-t"><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.8641em;"><span style="top:-3.113em;margin-right:0.05em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:2.7em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">5</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:1.0141em;vertical-align:-0.15em;"></span><span class="mord"><span class="mord mathnormal" style="margin-right:0.07153em;">C</span><span class="msupsub"><span class="vlist-t vlist-t2"><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.3011em;"><span style="top:-2.55em;margin-left:-0.0715em;margin-right:0.05em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:2.7em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">4</span></span></span></span></span><span class="vlist-s">​</span></span><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.15em;"><span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span><span class="mbin"><span class="mbin">+</span><span class="msupsub"><span class="vlist-t"><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.8641em;"><span style="top:-3.113em;margin-right:0.05em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:2.7em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">5</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.8333em;vertical-align:-0.15em;"></span><span class="mord"><span class="mord mathnormal" style="margin-right:0.07153em;">C</span><span class="msupsub"><span class="vlist-t vlist-t2"><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.3011em;"><span style="top:-2.55em;margin-left:-0.0715em;margin-right:0.05em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:2.7em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">5</span></span></span></span></span><span class="vlist-s">​</span></span><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.15em;"><span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br><span class="katex-display"><span class="katex"><span class="katex-mathml"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block"><semantics><mrow><mtext>Ways</mtext><mo>=</mo><mn>5</mn><mo>+</mo><mn>10</mn><mo>+</mo><mn>10</mn><mo>+</mo><mn>5</mn><mo>+</mo><mn>1</mn><mo>=</mo><mn>31</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">Ways=5+10+10+5+1=31\displaystyle \text{Ways} = 5 + 10 + 10 + 5 + 1 = 31</annotation></semantics></math></span><span class="katex-html" aria-hidden="true"><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.8778em;vertical-align:-0.1944em;"></span><span class="mord text"><span class="mord">Ways</span></span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2778em;"></span><span class="mrel">=</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2778em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.7278em;vertical-align:-0.0833em;"></span><span class="mord">5</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span><span class="mbin">+</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.7278em;vertical-align:-0.0833em;"></span><span class="mord">10</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span><span class="mbin">+</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.7278em;vertical-align:-0.0833em;"></span><span class="mord">10</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span><span class="mbin">+</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.7278em;vertical-align:-0.0833em;"></span><span class="mord">5</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span><span class="mbin">+</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2222em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.6444em;"></span><span class="mord">1</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2778em;"></span><span class="mrel">=</span><span class="mspace" style="margin-right:0.2778em;"></span></span><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.6444em;"></span><span class="mord">31</span></span></span></span></span><br>**Discrepancy Note:**<br>The rigorous mathematical derivation yields &#36;31 ways, which corresponds to **Option B**. The textbook answer key has a typographical error, indicating **Option C** ($32$) as the correct answer. This error occurs because the author neglected to subtract the case where no friends are invited.

Hence, **Option B** is the correct answer.

About This Chapter: Permutations and Combinations

Paper

Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude

Weightage

4-6 Marks

Key Topics

Factorials, Permutations, Combinations

This chapter deals with the fundamental principles of counting. It covers factorials, circular permutations, restricted permutations, combinations, and the differences between selecting items versus arranging them.

View Official ICAI Syllabus

Exam Strategy Tip

The most common mistake is confusing 'P' (Arrangement) with 'C' (Selection). If order matters (like opening a lock), use P. If order doesn't matter (like choosing a team), use C.

Related Comparison Tables

Permutations vs Combinations: The Quantitative Aptitude Guide

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