FACTORIALITY
Charles François (2004). FACTORIALITY, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 1239.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1239 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
Factorial multiplication of combinations between elements is obtained through the product of all positive integers from 1 to n, n. being the number of elements intervening in the combinatory.
This is represented by n!, as a short hand for 1.2.3…n.
Obviously, the number of possible combinations among elements grows in an accelerated way in accordance to the number of elements in the combinatory.
This is however an abstract model ; it is implicitly admitted that there are no restriction of any kind for some combinations.
In practical situations such restrictions appear promptly because for ex. of environmental limitations that block or brake the multiplication of the elements, or throughsaturation of their relational network .
See also
Combinatorics