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Old 05-06-2005, 05:28 PM
Stephen H Stephen H is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 31
Default Re: OOooh boy, stupid question

I suspect that this page from the same site might be a little more helpful. The first line says:

The number of ways of picking k unordered outcomes from n possibilities. Also known as the binomial coefficient or choice number and read "n choose k,"

So, when someone says "52 choose 2" they mean "the number of ways you can choose 2 items from a collection of 52 items when the order you choose them in doesn't matter" (for example, getting dealt a 2 card hand from a deck of 52 cards). The formula there is then what people are using when solving the equations.
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