Direct answer
“How many combinations can be made with forex major pairs?” does not have one single number unless you define what “combination” means. The answer depends on what you count from the set of major currency pairs.
A practical way to bound the question is to assume you have N distinct forex major pairs available, and then choose a counting rule:
- Unique selections: choosing one major pair gives N combinations.
- Directional combinations between two different pairs: if order matters (direction), the maximum is N × (N − 1).
- Unordered combinations of two different pairs: if order does not matter, the maximum is N choose 2 = N × (N − 1) / 2.
Because the exact value of N depends on how “major pairs” are defined in your reference (definitions can vary), this article focuses on the verifiable counting logic and the assumptions behind it.
Explanation: how the counting works
To turn the word “combination” into something countable, decide two things:
- What objects are being combined?
- You might combine pairs themselves (e.g., “pair A with pair B”), not currencies.
- Does order matter?
- If you treat direction as meaningful (example: switching A→B vs B→A), then order matters.
- If you treat A with B the same as B with A, order does not matter.
Using N as the number of distinct major pairs in your chosen definition:
- One-at-a-time selections: there are exactly N ways to select a single pair.
- Two different pairs with order: there are N × (N − 1) ordered ways, because the first choice has N options and the second choice cannot repeat the first.
- Two different pairs without order: there are N × (N − 1) / 2 unordered ways, because each unordered pair corresponds to two ordered versions.
Example checks
Suppose your definition of major pairs gives N = 6 distinct pairs (this N is an assumption you must verify from your reference).
- Selecting one major pair: 6 combinations.
- Selecting two different major pairs where order matters: 6 × 5 = 30 combinations.
- Selecting two different major pairs where order does not matter: 6 × 5 / 2 = 15 combinations.
If you used a different N (because a different definition of “major pairs” changes which pairs are included), all these totals change proportionally.
Limitations and uncertainty
- No single universal number: “Major pairs” is a definition-dependent set, so N can vary across references.
- Ambiguous wording: “Combination” can mean different operations (one pair selection vs mixing two pairs; order matters vs not).
- Not time-sensitive: these counts are mathematical given N; they do not depend on live prices.
If you want a single numeric answer, you must provide (or verify) both: (1) your definition of how many major pairs you include (N), and (2) your exact combination rule (one pair, two pairs with order, or two pairs without order).