Four digit combination lock

[katiesara]

If you have a 4 digit combination lock, and you know the numbers but not what order they go in - how many possible combinations are there?

[Hammer]

4x3x2x1 = 24.

[markwh]

24 possibilities (if my maths is correct) i.e. 4 x 3 x 2 x 1

There are less possibilities if you allow repeated numbers. e.g. if all four numbers are the same, there is only 1 possible combination.

[galltin]

I'm no mathematician but surely there has to be (at least) 9999.

[galltin]

..........or does the rest of the question say you know the possible digits?

Since the refurbishment of the site I miss half the printing of the questions, it's very frustrating.

[Hammer]

The question does say you know the numbers but not the order, otherwise you would be (almost) correct. There would be 10x10x10x10 = 10,000 combinations (you must have forgotten 0000).

[landie]

I'm guessing that there are four rotating bezels each with 0 to 9 (ie 10 digits). The possibilities are 10 to the power of four. That is 10 x10 x10 x 10 ie 10,000 possibilities.

[landie]

Sorry Hammer, must have posted just after you.

[Clayhead]

So, to sum up - there are 10,000 combinations in total but there are 24 that contain the known 4 digits, if they are all different, which maybe what katiesara was asking. 

[katiesara]

Thanks for your answers, I know all the numbers and they are all different - so I assume the answer is 24!

Thanks again.

[landie]

I would like to revise my previous answer. If you know the four digits, but not which order they are in, it is similar to having 4 dials each of four numbers. The total number of variations is, therefore, four to the power of four (4 x 4 x 4 x 4) = 256.

[missi]

if you have a four digit combo lock but dont no the order how many ways and combos are there and can you show me the numbers?