Lesson 2.

3
ARITHMETIC AND
GEOMETRIC SERIES
Lesson 2.4
THE BINOMIAL
THEOREM

DECEMBER 4, 2020

SHS DEPARTMENT
Prepared by: Jonell A. Padongao, MST
– MATH (CAR)

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Theorem: Sum of an Arithmetic Series
ESSENSE │

If a1, a2, …, an form an arithmetic sequence with common difference d, then

the sum Sn of these n terms is given by the following:

n[ 2 a1 +(n−1)d ] n(a 1+an )

Sn = 2 =
2

Example 1│
Evaluate the following sum:
1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + … + 99
Solution │
This is an arithmetic series, with common difference 2. If n is the index of
the series corresponding to the last term, then,

99 = an = a1 + (n - 1)d = 1 + (n - 1)2 = 2n -1

99+1
Thus, n = 2 = 50, and hence we have the following:

50(1+99)
1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + … + 99 = 2
= 2500

More explanations? Search using the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-wa7voc0uM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy_L8tnihDM

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Theorem: Sum of a Geometric Series
ESSENSE │

If a1, a2, …, an form a geometric sequence with common ratio r ≠ 1, then the
sum Sn of these n terms is given by the following:

a1 (1−r n) a1−r a n
Sn = =
1−r
1−r

Example 1│
Evaluate the following sum:
1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + … + 512
Solution │
This is a geometric series, with common ratio 2. If n is the index of the
series corresponding to the last term, then,

512 = an = a1r n−1 = 1 ● 2n−1= 2n−1

Since 512 = 29, we have n = 10, and hence the following:

1−2(512)
1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + … + 512 = 1−2
= 1023

More explanations? Search using the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXo0bG4iAyg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8THsl3AYFI

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Name: _______________________ Year and Section: ____________

THE BINOMIAL WORKSHEET 1

THEOREM

I - Find the sum of an arithmetic series.

1. 38 + 35 + 32 +, …, + 2
2. 5 + 15 + 25 +, …, + 195
3. (-24) + (-13) + (-2) +, … + 185
4. 5 + 9 + 13 +, …, + 93
5. 2 + 7 + 12 +, …, + 122

II – Find the sum of a geometric series.

1. 3 + 12 + 48 +, …, + 768
2. 5 + (-15) + 45 + (-135)
3. 4 + 8 + 16 +, …, + 2048
4. 10 + 30 + 90 +, …, + 2430
2 2 2 2
5. 2 + 3 + 9 + 27 + 81

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Motivation
I am the very model of a modern Major-General,
I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;
I’m very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I’m teeming with a lot o’ news —
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
— Gilbert and Sullivan, Pirates of Penzance.

ESSENCE │

When you look at the following expansions you can see the symmetry and the
emerging patterns. The simple first case dates back to Euclid in the third
century BCE.

(a +b)2 = (a +b)(a +b)

= a2+2ab +b2

(a +b)3 = (a + b)2(a +b)

= (a2 + 2ab + b2)(a + b)

= (a3 + 2a2b + ab2) + (a2b +2ab2+ b3)

= a3 + 3a2b + 3ab2 + b3

(a + b)4 = (a + b)3(a + b)

= (a3 + 3a2b + 3ab2 + b3)(a + b)

= (a4 + 3a3b + 3a2b2 + ab3) + (a3b + 3a2b2 + 3ab3 + b4)

= a4 + 4a3b + 6a2b2 + 4ab3 + b4

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Notice that

the expansion of (a +b)2 has three terms and in each term the sum of the
indices is 2
the expansion of (a +b)3 has four terms and in each term the sum of the indices
is 3
the expansion of (a +b)4 has five terms and in each term the sum of the indices
is 4.

We conjecture that the expansion of ( a+b)n has n+1 terms and in each term the
sum of the indices is n. The coefficients of the terms follow an interesting pattern.
How can we determine this pattern and how can we predict the coefficients of the
expansion of (a +b)n? The binomial theorem gives us the general formula for the
expansion of (a +b)n for any positive integer n. It also enables us to determine the
coefficient of any particular term of an expansion of ( a +b)n.

In this module, Pascal’s triangle is center stage. The coefficients of the expansion
of (a +b)n, for a particular positive integer n, are contained in sequence in the nth row
of this triangle of numbers. The triangular numbers, the square numbers and the
numbers of the Fibonacci sequence can be found from the triangle, and many
interesting identities can be established. For example, the triangular numbers occur
in Pascal’s triangle along the diagonal shown in the following diagram. The square
numbers can be found by adding pairs of adjacent numbers on this diagonal.

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 The triangular numbers in Pascal’s triangle.

This topic combines combinatoric and algebraic results in a most productive manner.
The relationship between the expansion of (a + b)n and binomial probabilities is
addressed in the module Binomial distribution.

A Look at Pascal’s Triangle

We begin by looking at the expansions of (1+x)n for n = 0,1,2,3,4,5.

(1+x)0 = 1

(1+x)1 = 1+x

(1+x)2 = 1+2x +x2

(1+x)3 = 1+3x +3x2+x3

(1+x)4 = 1+4x +6x2+4x3+x4

(1+x)5 = 1+5x +10x2+10x3+5x4+x5

We begin by looking at the expansions of (1+x)n for n = 0,1,2,3,4,5.

(1+x)0 = 1

(1+x)1 = 1+x

(1+x)2 = 1+2x +x2

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(1+x)3 = 1+3x +3x2+x3

(1+x)4 = 1+4x +6x2+4x3+x4

(1+x)5 = 1+5x +10x2+10x3+5x4+x5

Pascal’s triangle
n x0 x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 x6 x7 x8

0 1

1 1 1

2 1 2 1

3 1 3 3 1

4 1 4 6 4 1

5 1 5 10 10 5 1

6 1 6 15 20 15 6 1

7 1 7 21 35 35 21 7 1

8 1 8 28 56 70 56 28 8 1

Pascal’s triangle is often displayed in the following way. Some of the patterns of
the triangle are more apparent in this form.

1 1

1 2 1

1 3 3 1
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 1 4 6 4 1

1 5 10 10 5 1

1 6 15 20 15 6 1

1 7 21 35 35 21 7 1

1 8 28 56 70 56 28 8 1

By examining Pascal’s triangle, we can make the following observations, which

will be proved later in this module.

1 Each number is the sum of the two numbers diagonally above it (with the
exception of the 1’s).
2 Each row is symmetric (i.e., the same backwards as forwards).

3 The sum of the numbers in each row is a power of 2.

4 In any row, the sum of the first, third, fifth, ... numbers is equal to the sum
of the second, fourth, sixth, ... numbers. (This is not a totally obvious result.)

We can use Pascal’s triangle to help us expand expressions of the form (1 + x) n

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More explanations? Search using the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPwrDWQ7hPc

Name: __________________________ Year and Section: ________________

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 WORKSHEET 2

I – Expand the following binomial powers.

1. (3x – 2y)3

2. (2z – 1)4

3. (a + b)8

4. (u – 2v)5

5. (pq – 4)6

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