Calculates the total number of ways to choose k items from n distinct items (without regard to order),
i.e., the number of combinations C(n, k) = n! / (k! * (n - k)!).
This function is intended for moderate n and k. For very large values, consider the 'gmp' package.
Arguments
- n
Integer. Total number of items (non-negative integer).
- k
Integer. Number of items to choose (non-negative integer, must be \u2264 n).
Value
Numeric. The combination count C(n, k) (returns Inf for very large n).
Examples
comb(8, 4) # 70
#> [1] 70
comb(5, 2) # 10
#> [1] 10
comb(10, 0) # 1
#> [1] 1
comb(5, 6) # 0
#> [1] 0
