BINOMIAL THEOREM

OBJECTIVES
Recognize patterns in binomial expansions.
Evaluate a binomial coefficient.
Expand a binomial raised to a power.
Find a particular term in a binomial expansion
Understand the principle of mathematical induction.
Prove statements using mathematical induction.
Definition: BINOMIAL THEOREM
Patterns in Binomial Expansions
A number of patterns, as follows, begin to appear when we write
the binomial expansion of a  bn, where n is a positive integer.

a  b   a  b
1

a  b 2  a 2  2ab  b 2
a  b 3  a3  3a 2b  3ab 2  b3
a  b   a 4  4a3b  6a 2b 2  4ab3  b 4
4

a  b   a5  5a 4b  10a3b 2  10a 2b3  5ab 4  b5

5

and so on.
In each expanded form above, the following can be observed:

n
1. The first term is a , and the exponent on a decreases by 1
in each successive term.

2. The last term is b n and the exponent on b decreases by 1

in each successive term.

3. The sum of the exponents on the variables in any term is

equal to n.

4. There are n  1 terms in the expanded form of a  b .

n
 Definition:
Binomial Coefficients
An interesting pattern for the coefficients in the binomial expansion a  bn
can be written in the following triangular arrangement

n=0 1
n=1 1 1
n=2 1 2 1
n=3 1 3 3 1
n=4 1 4 6 4 1
n=5 1 5 10 10 5 1
n=6 1 6 15 20 15 6 1

This triangular array of coefficients is called the Pascal’s Triangle.

When n is small, the use of Pascal’s triangle is advantageous.

However, if n is large or a specific term is desired, the use of Binomial Theorem
is more appropriate.
Definition :
THE BINOMIAL THEOREM
The Binomial Theorem provides a formula for expanding
expressions of the form a  bn , where n is a natural number.
For any binomial a  b and any natural number n ,

n n1 nn  1 n2 2 nn  1n  2...n  r  1 nr r

a  b  a  a b 
n n
a b  ...  a b  ...  b n
1! 2! r!

The specific term of a binomial expansion is

nn  1n  2...n  r  2 n  r 1 r 1

a b
r  1!
.

; 3rd term 3.
A. Use Binomial Theorem to expand each binomial and express the result
in simplified
; 4th term 4. form.

3.x  2 y 
; 6th term

1.3 x  y 
3 . 2 4

2.x  3 y  4.3 x  2 y 
5 7

B. Find the term indicated in each expansion.

1.2 x  y  , 2.3x  2 y  ,
6 5
3rd term 4th term

3.x  y , 4. x  2 y  ,
2 2 8 8
4th term 6th term