Combinatorial explosion
![Using separate lines of communication, four organizations require six channels](/Images/godic/202501/05/4x2.svg1556.png")
![Using an intermediary, only one channel per organization is required](/Images/godic/202501/05/4xn.svg1556.png")
In mathematics, a combinatorial explosion describes the effect of functions that grow very rapidly as a result of combinatorial considerations.
Examples of such functions include the factorial function and related functions. Pathological examples of combinatorial explosion include functions such as the Ackermann function.