In which case does order matter?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Opening the question, we need to determine in which scenario order matters among the given options.
Option a: Choosing toppings for a pizza. Here, the sequence in which you pick toppings generally does not change the outcome; the final set of toppings is what matters, not the order you chose them. This makes order not important.
Option b: Choosing 4 students for a team. If you are simply selecting four students for a team without assigning roles or ranks, the order in which you choose them does not typically affect the outcome. It’s a combination, not a permutation, of four students.
Option c: Assigning 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Here, the labels 1st, 2nd, and 3rd denote distinct positions with different significance (first place is not the same as second or third). The order in which you assign these places changes the outcome, so order clearly matters.
Option d: Selecting 3 posters to hang. If you are just choosing three posters to hang without specifying a sequence or priority, this is a selection where the order of choosing does not change the final set of posters displayed.
In summary, only option c involves distinct ordered positions (1st, 2nd, 3rd) where swapping the order would yield a different result, while the other options involve either sets or selections where order is irrelevant.

MDM4U - Mathematics of Data Management 12 (2025-26) - A

In which case does order matter?

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