Branch of mathematics concerned with the selection, arrangement, and combination of objects chosen from a finite set. The number of possible bridge hands is a simple example; more complex problems include scheduling classes in classrooms at a large university and designing a routing system for telephone signals.
No standard algebraic procedures apply to all combinatorial problems; a separate logical analysis may be required for each problem. Combinatorics has its roots in antiquity, but new uses in computer science and systems management have increased its importance in recent years. &Seealso; permutations and combinations.
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