Circular Permutation Calculator
Find the number of circular permutations of n distinct items, which is (n minus 1) factorial. Also shows the linear permutation n factorial and the ratio.
Input
Find the number of circular permutations of n distinct items, equal to (n minus 1) factorial. Rotations that match are counted as one.
Enter the number of items to arrange in a circle as an integer of 0 or more.
Result
Circular permutations of n = 5, equal to (n minus 1) factorial
24
Linear permutation n factorial
120
Linear divided by circular
5 times
Digits of circular permutation
2
The number of circular permutations is (n minus 1) factorial, counting rotations as one. The linear permutation n factorial counts arrangements in a row and is n times larger.
How it works
- A circular permutation is the number of ways to arrange n distinct items around a circle. Because rotations that look the same are counted once, the total equals the linear permutation n factorial divided by n, which is (n minus 1) factorial.
- For example, seating 5 people around a round table gives (5 minus 1) factorial = 4 factorial = 24 arrangements. Rotations of the same seating count as one, so we use (n minus 1) factorial instead of n factorial.
- The linear permutation n factorial counts arrangements in a row and is n times larger than the circular permutation. This tool shows the circular permutation, the linear permutation, and the ratio between them.
- When n is large the result has very many digits, so beyond a certain length only the digit count is shown. All calculations use exact integer arithmetic.
Reviews
Tell us what you think of this calculator.
Write a review
- Home
Circular Permutation Calculator