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MACLAURIN’S THEOREM
Maclaurin’s theorem is a special form of Taylor’s series expansions.

If x is small, then

x2 x3
f x   f 0  f 0  f 0  f 0  ... is the statement of Maclaurin’s theorem.
x
 
1! 2! 3!

Example 1

Use Maclaurin’s theorem to expand the following as far as the fourth term.

(a) ex (b) 1  5x

Solution

(a) Let f ( x)  e x ; f 0  1

f x   e x ; f 0  1

f x   e x ; f 0  1

f x   e x ; f 0  1

x2 x3
From f x   f 0  f 0  f 0  f 0  ...
x
1! 2! 3!

2 3 2 3
ex  1 
x
1  x 1  x 1  ...  1  x  x  x .
1 2 6 2 6

f x   1  5 x  1  5 x  2 ; f 0  1
1
(b) Let

f  x   1  5 x  2 ; f 0  5
5 1

2 2

f  x    1  5 x  2 ; f 0   
25 3 25
4 4

f  x    5 1  5 x  2 ; f 0  
75 
5 375
8 8

@KCB MATHS DEPARTMENT 2021, Prepared by HOD 0782994248

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x2 x3
From f x   f 0  f 0  f 0  f 0  ...
x
1! 2! 3!

x  5  x 2  25  x 3  375  5 25 2 125 3
1  5x  1         1 x x  x
12 2  4 6  8  2 8 16

Example 2

Given that 𝑦 = ln(𝑥 2 + 𝑥 + 2), find the Maclaurin’s expansion of 𝑦 up to the third term. Hence
estimate ln 2.11 truncated to 4 significant figures.

Let 
y  f x   ln x 2  x  2 ;  y (0)  ln 2

2x  1
y 0  
1
y  ;
x x2
2
2

y 
x 2
 x  22  2 x  12 x  1
; y0 
3
x 2
 x  2
2
4

x2
From f ( x)  f (0)  x f (0)  f 0  ...
2!

 2
 x 3x 2
ln x  x  2  ln 2  
2 8
 ...

 
By comparison, ln x 2  x  2  ln 2.11  x 2  x  0.11  0

 x  0.1 or x  1.1 (discard)

0.1 30.1
2
Now  ln 2.11  ln 2    0.74689718  0.7468 4S.F 
2 8

Example 3

Given that y  lnx 2  2 x  3 , prove that x 2  2 x  3  d

3
d2y
 2x  1
y dy
(a) 2  0.
dx3 dx 2
dx
(b) Hence, use Maclaurin’s theorem to expand y  lnx 2  2 x  3 as far as the term in x 3 .

(c) Use your expansion in (b) to approximate ln 3.21 correct to four decimal places.

Solution

@KCB MATHS DEPARTMENT 2021, Prepared by HOD 0782994248

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2x  2
y  lnx 2  2 x  3 ,
dy
(a)  2 …. (i)
dx x  2x  3

Cross multiplying, x 2  2 x  3
dy
 2x  2
dx

Now differentiating using the product rule, x 2  2 x  3

d2y
 2 x  2   2 …. (ii)
dy
2
dx dx

Differentiating again, x 2  2 x  3
d3y d2y d2y
3
 2 x  2  2
 2 x  2  2
dy
2 0
dx dx dx dx

 d3y d2y

x  2 x  3 3  2x  1 2  2
2 dy
dx
 0 …… (iii)
dx dx

(b) 
f x   y  ln x 2  2 x  3  ; f 0  ln 3

2x  2
; f 0 
dy 2
From (i)  2
dx x  2x  3 3

x d
2
 2 x  2  2 , 3 f 0  2   2
y dy 2
From (ii) 2
 2x  3 2
dx dx 3

f 0  
2
9

 d
3
d2y
 2x  1  0 ; 3  f 0  2   2   0
y dy 2 2
From (iii) x 2  2 x  3 2
dx3 dx 2
dx 9 3

f 0   
16
27

x2 x3
From f x   f 0  f 0  f 0  f 0  ...
x
1! 2! 3!

  x  2  x 2  2  x 3  16 
ln x 2  2 x  3  ln 3    
13
2 1 2 8 3
       ln 3  x  x  x
2  9  6  27  3 9 81

(c) By comparison, lnx 2  2 x  3  ln 3.21  ln 3  0.21

 x 2  2 x  0.21  0 ; x  0.1 or x   2.1discard

Taking x  0.1 , ln 3.21  ln 3 

2
0.1  1 0.12  8 0.13  1.1662913 1.1663
3 9 81

@KCB MATHS DEPARTMENT 2021, Prepared by HOD 0782994248

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Trial exercise
1. Use Maclaurin’s theorem to expand the following as far as the term in x 3 .

(i) ln 1  2 x  (ii) sin x (iii) e  x cos x

ln sin x  cos x 
1
(iv) 1  4x 2 (v) (vi)
1  2x

2. Using Maclaurin’s theorem, find the first three non zero terms of the series for

log5 1  e x . 
3. Using Maclaurin’s theorem, expand y  x  ln 1  x  as far as the term in x 3 .

 2 
4. By Maclaurin’s theorem, expand ln  x3
 1  4 x  as far as the term in .
 
5. 
Given that y  lnx 2  x  2, show that x 2  x  2
d3y
dx 3
 22 x  1 d2y
dx 2
dy
 2  0 . Hence
dx
by Maclaurin’s theorem, expand y  lnx  x  2 as far as the term in x .
2 3

d2y dy
6. Given that y  e 2 x sin 3 x , prove that 2
4  13 y  0 . Hence by Maclaurin’s
dx dx

 
theorem, expand y  e 2 x sin 3 x as far as the term in x 3 . Also estimate e 6
sin correct
4
to three significant figures.
7. Use Maclaurin’s theorem to expand ln 1  2 x  x 2  as far as the term in x 3 . Hence
evaluate ln 1.19 correct to four decimal places.

@KCB MATHS DEPARTMENT 2021, Prepared by HOD 0782994248