Question

A personnel manager at a department store has 10 applicants to fill three different sales positions. In how many ways can this be done, assuming that all the applicants are qualified for any of the three positions? Can anyone help please?

Answer 1

10x3

Answer 2

A good way of starting this is determining whether the order that you choose the three applicants matters. If order matters, then it's a permutation. If the order doesn't matter, then it's a combination.

In other words, say that Anne, Bob, and Cathy are 3 of the applicants. If you choose Bob, then Anne, then Cathy, is that different than choosing Anne, then Bob, then Cathy?

Answer 3

Or, would those really count as the same thing, for this problem? (Then, order _wouldn't_ matter.)