Excel PERMUTATIONA Function

If you want to follow along with this tutorial, please download the example spreadsheet.

Description

The Excel PERMUTATIONA function returns the number of permutations of a given number of objects from a set of objects. The PERMUTATIONA function allows repetitions.

Syntax and arguments

Formula syntax

Arguments

Return Value

The PERMUTATIONA function returns an integer value that indicates the total number of permutations.

Remark

1. Any of the arguments are supplied as decimal values, they would be truncated to integers by PERMUTATIONA function.

2. The difference between PERTMUT function and PERMUTATION function:

• PERMUT function does not allow repetitions. For example, in a set of 1, 2, 3, to get the permutations of 2 objects from the set, the PERMUT function returns 6 combinations: 12,13,21,23,31,32).
• PERMUTATIONA function does allow repetitions. For example, in a set of 1, 2, 3, to get the permutations of 2 objects from the set, the PERMUTATION function returns 9 combinations: 11,12,13,21,22,23,31,32,33).
• For PERMUTATIONA function, the order of the objects matters

Error

1. If any of arguments are non-numeric values, the PERMUTATIONA function returns #VALLUE! error value.

2. The PERMUTATIONA function returns #NUM! error value,

• if argument number is smaller that argument number_chosen;
• if argument number <=0, or argument number_chose < 0.

Version

Excel 2003 and later

Usage and Examples

Example: Basic Usage

In range B4:C9, list the numbers of objects and the number for chosen in each set, to get the number of permutations of each set, please use formula as this:

=PERMUTATIONA(B4,C4)

Or directly type the numbers as arguments in formula

=PERMUTATIONA(3,2)

Press Enter key to get the first result, then drag autofill handle down to get all results.

Relative Functions:

• Excel PERCENTRANK Function
  The Excel PERCENTRANK function returns the rank of a value in a data set as a percentage of the data set.

• Excel PERCENTRANK.EXC Function
  The Excel PERCENTRANK.EXC returns the rank of a value in a data set as a percentage (excludes 0 and 1) of the data set.

• Excel PERCENTRANK.INC Function
  The Excel PERCENTRANK.INC function returns the rank of a value in a data set as a percentage (includes 0 and 1) of the data set.

• Excel PERMUT Function
  The Excel PERMUT function returns the number of permutations of a given number of objects from a set of objects.