How many ways can first second and third place assigned

i cannot help you get the answer to the question without more information but i can explain how to solve it, what your question is, is called a "permutation"

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate permutations, use the equation nPr, where n is the total number of choices and r is the amount of items being selected. To solve this equation, use the equation nPr = n! / (n - r)!    , an exclimation point means the factorial, say we need the factorial of 4, we would do this 4x3x2x1 go left to right, and it is not all at once. you multiply 4 times 3 which equals 12, then multiply 12 times 2... so on and so forth