Expand the following expression:

(𝑎 +𝑏) ¿ 1
0

(𝑎 +𝑏) ¿ 𝑎 +𝑏
1

2
(𝑎 +𝑏) ¿ 𝑎 2 +2 𝑎𝑏+𝑏 2
3 3 2 2 3
(𝑎 +𝑏) ¿ 𝑎 +3 𝑎 𝑏+3 𝑎 𝑏 + 𝑏
(𝑎 +𝑏) ¿ ?
4

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 Chapter 6
binomial theorem

2
Learning Objectives
1. To determine the general term in a binomial expansion
where n is a natural number.
2. To expand where n is a natural number.
3. To expand where r is any real number.

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(a+b)0 1
(a+b)1 a +b
(a+b)2 a2 + 2ab + b2
(a+b)3 a3 + 3a2b + 3ab2 + b3
(a+b)4 a4 + 4a3b +6a2b2 + 4ab3 + b4
(a+b)5 a5 + 5a4b +10a3b2 +10a2b3 + 5ab4 + b5
(a+b)6 a6 + 6a5b +15a4b2 +20a3b3 +15a2b4 + 6ab5 + b6
(a+b)7 a7 + 7a6b +21a5b2 +35a4b3 +35a3b4 +21a2b5 + 7ab6 + b7

(a+b)0 1
(a+b)1 1 1
(a+b)2 1 2 1
(a+b)3 1 3 3 1
(a+b)4 predict 1 4 6 4 1
(a+b)5 predict 1 5 10 10 5 1
(a+b)6 1 6 15 20 15 6 1
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Pascal’s Triangle
5
Theorem 6.1 : Binomial Theorem
Let a and b be any real numbers. For each natural number n,

6
Coefficient of

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Example 6.1
Find the coefficient of the sixth term of the expansion
Solution:

8
Example 6.2
Find the first five terms of the expansion of

9
Example 6.3
Find to the nearest hundredth without using calculator for .

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Generalized Binomial Theorem
• The binomial theorem can be generalized to include the case
in which n is not a positive integer.
• In this case the previous expansion is no longer a finite sum,
instead it has become an infinite series.
• This extension of the binomial theorem had been proved by
Isaac Newton for the expansion of , where r is any real
number.

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Theorem 6.2: Binomial Series
If and r is any real number, then

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Coefficients of the Binomial Series

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Example 6.4
Show that

15
Example 6.5
Find the binomial/power series for . Hence, estimate correct to
3 decimal places.

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Example 6.6
Find a series converging to .

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Let’s try Exercise 6.1!

6. Write the first four terms in the expansion of .

13. Write out the binomial expansion for up to the term in .

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6. Write the first four terms in the expansion of .

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13. Write out the binomial expansion for up to the term in .

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End of Chapter 6

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