FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

Which mathematical technique involves the selection of distinct elements regardless of order?

1. Combinations

2. Permutations

3. Linear relationships

4. Variance

The correct answer is: Combinations

The concept of selecting distinct elements regardless of order pertains to combinations. This mathematical technique is used when the arrangement of the items is not important, meaning that a selection of items A, B, and C is considered the same as B, C, and A. Combinations are often applied in scenarios such as choosing members for a committee or selecting items for a lottery, emphasizing the group of chosen elements rather than the sequence in which they were picked. In contrast, permutations involve arrangements where order matters, which is not applicable in this case. Linear relationships are related to algebraic expressions involving variables that change at a constant rate, and variance is a statistical measure of the dispersion of data points. Each of these concepts serves different purposes in mathematics and statistics, further emphasizing why combinations are the correct answer in this context.