ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS

[LESSON 6]

SIMPLIFYING/EXPANDING EQUATIONS

This tutorial is useful to anyone studying engineering. It uses the principle of learning
by example.

LESSON OBJECTIVE

On completion of this tutorial you should be able to do the following.

• Explain the use of the summation symbol

• Explain the use of factorial notation.

• Explain and use the Binomial Expansion

Douglanpedro’s Science & Engineering Class 1

SUMMATION

This word is used to mean the result of adding (summing) a number of terms and the symbol Σ
(capital sigma) is used. Consider the two diagrams.

The left diagram is divided into many equal squares of area δA. The total area may be expressed as
A = ΣδA meaning add all the small areas together.

The right diagram is made up of strips all of width δx and heights y1, y2 .....yn
The y values are called ordinates. The area is the sum of all the strips so we can write A = Σ(y δx)

We can define how many strips (n in this case) to sum as shown and the common factor δx may be
taken outside so we should write:
r=n

A = δx  y r
r=1
If we wanted to express the area between any two ordinates, say y2 and y5 then we would write:
r=5

A = δx  y r
r=2
This idea in various forms can be applied to many problems and helps simplify them.

FACTORIALS

A factorial number is indicated with ‘!’ so factorial 4 is written 4! And so on.

A factorial number means simply all the integers (whole numbers) multiplied together so for
example: 4! = 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 24
There is probably a button on your calculator (e.g. x!) that will let you do this quickly try practising.
Note that the factorial of negative numbers are an infinite series for example:
-1! = (-1)(-2)(-3)(-4)...
-4! = (-4)(-5)(-5)(-7) ......

THE MEANING OF nCr

This is an expression that comes up in outcome 4 and later in this tutorial. It is a factorial expression
with the following meaning.
n(n -1)(n - 2)(n - 3)...... (n -{r −1})
Cr =
n
r!
The top line is the first r factors of n and the bottom line is factorial r

WORKED EXAMPLE No.1

Evaluate 5C3

SOLUTION
5x4x3
n = 5 and r = 3. The top line will be the first 3 factors of 5 5
C3 = = 10
3 x 2 x1

Douglanpedro’s Science & Engineering Class 2

 WORKED EXAMPLE No. 2

Evaluate 6C3

SOLUTION
6x5x4
n = 6 and r = 3 6
C3 = = 20
3 x 2 x1

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE No.1

1. Evaluate the following:

3! 7! 10!
(Answers 6, 5040 and 3628800!)

2. Evaluate the following

12! 8!−5!
8! 4!
(Answers 11880 and 1675)
3. Evaluate the following.
a1 =4 C1 a 2 =4 C 2 a3 =4 C3
(Answers 4, 6 and 4)

In the last problem you might notice that 4 C1 =4 C3

If we examined this closer we would see that in any series for a given value of n starting at nC0 and
ending at nCn the values are symmetrical around the centre value starting and ending with 1.

Consider the case n = 6

6
C0 = 1 (Take this as true but it is hard to see how to evaluate it)
6
6
C1 = = 6
1
6x5
C2 =
6
= 15
2 x1
6x5x4
C3 = = 20
6
3 x 2 x1
6x5x 4x3
C4 = = 15
6
4 x 3 x 2 x1
6x5x 4 x3x 2
C5 = =6
6
5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x1
6x5x 4x3x2
6
6=
C =1
6x5x4x3x2x1

It follows that 6C6 = 6C0 6

C5 = 6C1 6
C4 = 6C2

In general, nCr = nCn-r

Douglanpedro’s Science & Engineering Class 3

ARITHMETICAL/GEOMETRIC SERIES

One of the most widely used examples of an arithmetical series is the BINOMIAL EXPANSION.

BINOMIAL THEOREM

This theorem provides us with a method for evaluating y = (1 + x) n Consider the case of n = 4

y = (1 + x)4 = (1+x) (1+x) (1+x) (1+x)

Multiplying out the brackets yields y = 1x0 + 4x1 + 6x2 + 4x3 + x4

This is a series with each term containing x to a power in ascending order from 0 to n.
Since xo = 1 and we normally write x1 as simply x the equation is more commonly written as:
y = 1 + 4x + 6x2 + 4x3 + x4

In general we can say y = (1 + x)n = aox0 + a1x1 + a2 6x2 + a3 4x3 + a4 x4 +......... + an xn

If we had a method for finding a0, a1, a2 ...an the series would be useful.

Without proof, it can be shown that any ‘a’ say ar = nCr

Hence y = (1 + x)n = nC0 + nC1 x + nC2 x2 + nC3 x3 + nC4 x4 + ........ + nCn xn

Noting that nC0 = nCn = 1 this becomes

y = (1 + x)n = 1 + nC1 x + nC2 x2 + nC3 x3 + nC4 x4 + ........ + xn

The binomial expansion can be expressed as (1 + x) n = 

r =n n
( C )x
r
r

r=0

WORKED EXAMPLE No. 3

Expand (1 + x)6 with the binomial theorem.

SOLUTION
1 (6Cr ) x r
6
(1 + x)6 = we know that
(1+ x)n =6 C0 +6 C1x +6 C2 x2 +6 C3x3 +6 C4 x4 +6 C5x5 +6 C6 x6
6
6
C0 = 1 6 C1 = = 6 ........ as solved earlier
1
6
C2 = C4 = 15
6 6
C3 = 20 6
C5 =6 C1 = 6 6
C6 = 1

(1 + x)6 = 1 + 6x + 15x 2 + 20x3 + 15x4 + 6x5 + x6

Check this out by putting in any value of x say x = 2 (1+2)6 = 36 = 729

(1 + 2)6 = 1+ 26 + (6)(2) + (15)22 + (20)23 + (15)24 + (6)25

729 = 1 + 12 + 60 + 160 + 240 + 192 + 64
729 = 729

Douglanpedro’s Science & Engineering Class 4

 WORKED EXAMPLE No. 4

Using the binomial theorem expand y =(z + a)n

SOLUTION

First, we must rearrange the expression into a form that can be expanded.
 a n
(z + a)n = zn 1+  let a/z = x (z + a) n = z n (1 + x )n
 z
Expanding we get
y = zn(1 + x)n = zn[1 + nC1 x + nC2 x2 + nC3 x3 + nC4 x4 + .........+ xn]
y = zn(1 + x)n = zn[1 + nC1 (a/z) + nC2 (a/z)2 + nC3 (a/z)3 + nC4 (a/z)4 + ........ + (a/z)n]
y = zn(1 + x)n = zn[1 + nC1 z-1a + nC2 z-2a2 + nC3 z-3a3 + nC4 z-4a4 +......... + z-nan]
y = zn(1 + x)n = zn + nC1 zn-1a + nC2 zn-2a2 + nC3 zn-3a3 + nC4 zn-4a4 + ......... + an]

WORKED EXAMPLE No. 5

y = (1+ x ) and show that if x is very small then the

−3
Using the binomial theorem expand
answer is 1 – 3x

SOLUTION

n = -3
(1 + x)-3 =-3 C0 +-3 C1x +-3 C2 x 2 +-3 C3x3 + ........
−3 (−3)(−4) 2 (−3)(−4)(−5) 3
(1+ x)-3 = 1+ x+ x + x + ........
1 (1)(2) (1)(2)(3)
(1 + x)-3 = 1− 3x + 6x2 −10x3 + ........
The result is an infinite series and it is only useful for evaluation when x is small such that
higher powers are negligible.
Check if x = 0.02 then y = 1.02-3 = 0.9423
1 – 3x = 1 – 0.06 = 0.94

WORKED EXAMPLE No. 6

1
Using the binomial theorem expand y = and evaluate when x = 0.02
1+ x
SOLUTION
= (1+ x)−1 putting n = -1 we can expand.
1
y=
1+ x
= (1 + x)−1 = 1 +n C x +n C x 2 +n C x3...
1
y=
1+x 1 2 3

−1 (−1)(−2) 2 (−1)(−2)(−3) 3
y=1+ x+ x + x + ....
1 (1)(2) (1)(2)(3)
1
y= = 1− x + x2 − x3.....
1+ x
1
y= = 1 − 0.02 + 0.0004 − 0.000008..... = 0.9804
1 + 0.02
Note for small values of y is quite accurately given by 1-x

Douglanpedro’s Science & Engineering Class 5

 SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE No. 2

1. Expand y = (1+ x )4 using the binomial theorem.

2. Expand y = (1 – p)-1 to four terms using the binomial theorem.

3. Expand y = (1 – q)-2 to four terms using the binomial theorem.

1 and show that for small numbers y = 1− x
4. Expand y =
1+ x 2

5. Expand y =
(1+ x)4 and show that for small numbers y = 1 + 9x
1− x 2

This work is continued in outcome 4 tutorial 2.

Douglanpedro’s Science & Engineering Class 6