GED LESSON: EXPONENTS

EXPONENTS 

FULL PURPLE MATH ARTICLE HERE

Exponents are shorthand for repeated multiplication of the same thing by itself. For instance, the shorthand for multiplying three copies of the number 5 is shown on the right-hand side of the "equals" sign in (5)(5)(5) = 5³. The "exponent", being 3 in this example, stands for however many times the value is being multiplied. The thing that's being multiplied, being5 in this example, is called the "base".
This process of using exponents is called "raising to a power", where the exponent is the "power". The expression "5³" is pronounced as "five, raised to the third power" or "five to the third". There are two specially-named powers: "to the second power" is generally pronounced as "squared", and "to the third power" is generally pronounced as "cubed". So "5³" is commonly pronounced as "five cubed".

GED LESSON: Permutations and Combinations

From http://www.regentsprep.org/regents/math/algtrig/ats5/lcomb.htm

Permutation:  A set of objects in which position (or order) is important.To a permutation, the trio of Brittany, Alan and Greg is DIFFERENT from Greg, Brittany and Alan.  Permutations are persnickety (picky).Combination:  A set of objects in which position (or order) is NOT important. To a combination, the trio of Brittany, Alan and Greg is THE SAME AS Greg, Brittany and Alan.

Khan Academy Permutations Introduction