Rapturous Joy

” O blessed change, O sweet permutation!” ”
–Justin Martyr

On this day...

  1. October 11, 2010

  2. World English Dictionary
    permutation (ˌpɜːmjʊˈteɪʃən)

    “” n
    1. maths
    a. an ordered arrangement of the numbers, terms, etc, of a set into specified groups: the permutations of a, b, and c, taken two at a time, are ab, ba, ac, ca, bc, cb
    b. Compare combination n P r a group formed in this way. The number of permutations of n objects taken r at a time is n !/( n — r )!
    2. a combination of items made by reordering
    3. an alteration; transformation
    4. Usually shortened to: perm a fixed combination for selections of results on football pools

    [C14: from Latin permūtātiō, from permūtāre to change thoroughly; see mutation ]

    permu’tational

    “” adj

    Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
    2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
    Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009

    Word Origin & History

    permutation
    mid-14c., from O.Fr. permutacion (14c.), from L. permutationem (nom. permutatio ), from permutatus , pp. of permutare “change thoroughly, exchange,” from per- “thoroughly” + mutare “to change” (see mutable).
    Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

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