BINOMIAL THEOREM

…..SAYAN CHAKRABORTY
JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS
 BINOMIAL THEOREM FOR POSITIVE
INTEGRAL INDEX:
STATEMENT OF THEOREM:By which common algebric formula we can
express any positive integer power of a binomial expression is called BINOMIAL THEOREM.It
was invented by SIR ISAAC NEWTON in the year 1664-65.
If n is a positive integer then,
+ nC1 x +nC2 +………..+nCr +………..+
( )
= +
! !
….( )
…………+ !
…………….+

The quantities nC0,nC1,nC2,…….,nCr are called BINOMIAL COEFFICIENT.

WE CAN PROVE THIS RESULT BY USING MATHEMATICAL INDUCTION THEORY.
 TO FIND NUMBER OF TERMS AND GENERAL
TERM:
The number of terms in the expansion of is finite and is (n+1) i.e one more than
the index of (a+x).The (r+1)th term in the expansion of is called the GENERAL
TERM.It is denoted by .
In the expansion,
+ nC1 x +nC2 +………..+nCr +………..+
( )
= + ! !
….( )
…………+ …………….+ ,
!
The first term =𝑡 =𝑎 =nC0 𝑎 𝑥 ; the second term = 𝑡 = nC1 𝑎 𝑥 ; the third term = 𝑡 = nC2 𝑎 𝑥 ,......

,…………......,the rth term = 𝑡 = n𝐶 𝑎 ( )

𝑥 ;the (r+1)th term = 𝑡 = n𝐶 𝑎 𝑥 .

THEREFORE THE GENERAL TERM = =n .

 NOW WE WILL DISCUSS ABOUT THE
GENERAL TERM OF THE EXPANSION

we know that in the expansion of the general term is =n .

So comparing the given expansion with the above expansion we get, n=6,
a=2x, =3y. So the general term of the given expansion is,
=n =6
=6
=6
So,we observed that the concept of finding the general term of any given expansion is
very easy.
NOW WE ARE GOING TO FIND THE MIDDLE
TERM OF ANY GIVEN EXPANSION:
CASE : 2
 NOW WE ARE GOING TO FIND THE MIDDLE TERM
OF THE EXPANSION .
At first we compare (𝑥 + ) with our known expression (𝑎 + 𝑥) and very easily we will observe that,

a = x ; x = ,n = 10.

Now we observe that the index n = 10; which is even.So the total number of terms in this expansion is (10+1)
= 11,which is odd and hence there is only one middle term in this expansion, which is 𝑡 .

So the middle term is 𝑡 =𝑡 =𝑡 = n𝐶 𝑎 𝑥

= 10𝐶 𝑥 ( )
( )

= 10𝐶 𝑥 = 10𝐶
 NOW WE WILL KNOW ABOUT THE
EQUIDISTANT TERM IN A BINOMIAL
EXPANSION:
At first we will consider the binomial expansion of (𝑎 + 𝑥) .

Now, (𝑎 + 𝑥) = 𝑎 + nC1 𝑎 x +nC2 𝑎 𝑥 +………..+nCr 𝑎 𝑥 +………..+𝑥

( )
= =𝑎 + 𝑛 𝑎 𝑥+ 𝑎 𝑥 + 𝑎 𝑥 +
! !
….( )
…………+ 𝑎 𝑥 +…………….+𝑥 .
!

Now we observe that, from the beginning the binomial coefficient of (r + 1) th term = n𝐶

Now we respectively observe that ,

In the above expansion , the binomial coefficient of first term from ending = n𝐶 = 1.

……………………………, the binomial coefficient of second term from ending =n𝐶 .

……………………………..., the binomial coefficient of third term from ending = n𝐶 .

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….,

,the binomial coefficient of ( r+1) th term from ending =n𝐶 .

Now very interestingly we observe that,
!
n𝐶 =
! !

!
=
! !

= n𝐶 .

So, we get, n𝐶 = n𝐶 …………. (1).

So, we get that ,

The binomial coefficient of ( r+1) th term from beginning = The binomial coefficient of ( r+1) th term from
ending.

So,lastly we conclude that ,

The binomial coefficients of equidistant terms from the beginning and ending in the expansion of (𝑎 + 𝑥) are
always equal.
 SOME IMPORTANT PROPERTIES OF BINOMIAL COEFFICIENTS :
i) In the expansion of , the summation of the binomial coefficients is .
i.e + + +………+ = .
ii) In the expansion of ,
The summation of the binomial coefficients in the even position
= The summation of the binomial coefficients in the odd position.
=
i.e for = + + + +……..+ ,
we have, + +……. = + + ………. = .

iii) n = n-1 = n-2 =……….

iv) =0 ; r =0 ; =0 ; = 0.
PROBLEM CORRESPONDING TO CASE – 1 :
PROBLEM CORRESPONDING TO CASE – 2 :
 GREATEST BINOMIAL COEFFICIENTS:

We already know that in the expansion of , the binomial coefficient of is n . Now we

will observe when the value of n is greatest.

CASE 1 ) If n is even, n will become greatest when, .

CASE 2) If n is odd , n will become greatest when ,

or, .