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11–12Mathematics Extension 1 11–12 Syllabus

Record of changes
Implementation from 2026
Expand for detailed implementation advice

Content

Year 11

Permutations and combinations
  • Use the notation n! (read as n factorial), where n!=nn-1n-2××3×2×1 for positive integers n
  • Use n!=n×n-1! and the convention 0!=1 in calculations and to simplify algebraic expressions involving factorials
  • Establish and use the multiplication principle: if a selection can be made in two stages, where there are m choices for the first stage and n choices for the second stage then there are m×n choices for the selection
  • Apply the multiplication principle to explain why the number of ways of ordering n distinct objects in a straight line is n!
  • Define a permutation as an ordered selection of some or all objects from a set of distinct objects

  • Use the notation nPr to represent an ordered selection of r objects from n distinct objects and observe that nPn=n! and nP0=1

  • Use the multiplication principle to establish that the number of ordered selections of r objects from n distinct objects is nn-1n-2××n-r+1 and show that nPr=nn-1n-2××n-r+1=n!n-r!
  • Solve problems involving permutations, including situations where the objects are not all distinct

  • Solve problems involving permutations with restrictions on the placement of one or more objects

  • Explain why the number of ways to arrange n distinct objects in a circle is n-1!
  • Solve problems involving circular arrangements of distinct objects with or without restrictions on the placement of one or more objects

  • Define a combination and use the notation nCr or nr to represent the number of ways of selecting a subset of r objects from n distinct objects, where order is not important
  • Establish and use the formula nCr=n!r!(n-r)! 
  • Show that nCn= nC0=1 and nC1= nCn-1=n
  • Show that nCr= nCn-r, for 0rn by selecting r objects from n distinct objects for inclusions and n-r objects from n distinct objects for exclusion

  • Prove nCr= n-1Cr-1+ n-1Cr for 1rn-1 algebraically and using combinatorial arguments
  • Solve problems involving combinations with or without restrictions on the selection of one or more objects

  • Solve problems involving both permutations and combinations, including problems which require consideration of cases

  • Solve probability problems involving permutations and combinations

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