Around a circular table, the number of distinct seating arrangements of four people, counting rotations as the same, is

  • A. four
  • B. six
  • C. twelve
  • D. twenty four

Explanation

Circular arrangements of n people number n minus 1 factorial, because fixing one person removes the equivalent rotations, so for four people it is 3 factorial, which is 6. In a row the same four people could be arranged in 24 ways. The difference is exactly the factor of four rotations.

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