COMBINATORICS
Charles François (2004). COMBINATORICS, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 499.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 499 ▶ |
| Object type | Discipline oriented |
- “That branch of mathematics concerned with the variety of combinations of elements that are possible within given constraints” (KRIPPENDORFF, 1986, p.12).
This includes “the number of selections, permutations, arrangements, patterns and organizations a system is capable of. Combinatorics is central to statistics and information theory” (Ibid).
The existence of constraints defines the algorithmic characteristics of the combinatorics.
Not all the theoretically possible combinations are practically possible.
See also
Factoriality, Zerosystem