Question

how many ways can the runners finsh first, second, and third?

Answer 1

it depends on how many runners

Answer 2

if there are three runners, then 3 runners can finish first, 2 others can finish second, and 1 can finish

Answer 3

so there are six possible comginations

Answer 4

ABC
ACB
BAC
BCA
CBA
CAB

Answer 5

but the formula is 3 (possible for first) * 2 (possible for second) * 1 (possible for third)

Answer 6

if there are n runners, then the answer is n*n-1*n-2