Determine whether the selection is a permutation, combination, or neither. A coach selects 2 of the 25 players to be captain and co-captain of the team.

Question

anonymous · Answer

When the coach selects the two players, does the order he select them matter?

If not, it's a combination. If so, it's a permutation.

anonymous · Answer

I guess the order would matter, since the first choice for captain couldn't be repeated. Thank you!

anonymous · Answer

Well, my understanding of co-captain is that it's the same as captain. Two co-captains share the responsibility of a captain.

If this is true, then it wouldn't matter which one you were. The result is the same.

If by co-captain, they mean something more like a second-in-command, then order would matter, yeah.

anonymous · Answer

Oh, you might be right about that. I'm more confused about the wording of this problem than the combination vs. permutation part, I think. I'll have to wait to find out what my professor meant. Thank you anyway!