Pascals Triangle & Binomial Theorem

Introduction
Pascals Triangle and the Binomial Theorem are methods that can be used to
expand out expressions of the form
(a + b)n
Where a and b are either mathematical expressions or numerical values and n
is a given number (positive or negative).
Both Pascals Triangle and the Binomial Theorem can be used when n is
positive, however the Binomial Theorem is used when n is negative.

Pascals Triangle
0

5
6

5
6

3
4

1
3

10
15

10

1
5

20

15

1
6

The numbers in Pascals Triangle indicate the coefficients that are required for
each term when expanding algebraic expressions.
For example, if expanding (a + b)4, Pascals Triangle can be used in the
following way:
The coefficients of terms when raised to the power of 4 are
1

(taken from row 5 of

Pascals Triangle)

Using this:
(a + b)4 = 1(a)4(b)0 + 4(a)3(b)1 + 6(a)2(b)2 + 4(a)1(b)3 + 1(a)0(b)4
= a4 + 4a3b + 6a2b2 + 4ab3 + b4

Mundeep Gill
Mundeep.Gill@brunel.ac.uk

For a general expansion, i.e. (a + b)n, you decrease the power of a from n to 0
and increase the power of b from 0 to n.
(NB: Within each term the powers should add up to n. For example, in the
above expansion: 1(a)4(b)0 + 4(a)3(b)1 + 6(a)2(b)2 + 4(a)1(b)3 + 1(a)0(b)4 within
each term the sum of all powers equals 4).

Example 1: Use Pascals Triangle to expand (x - 2)3.

Solution: The coefficients of an expansion involving the power of 3 are:
1

Therefore,
(x 2)3 = 1(x)3(-2)0 + 3(x)2(-2)1 + 3(x)1(-2)2 + 1(x)0(-2)3
= 1x3 + 3x2(-2) + 3x(4) + 1(-8)
= x3 6x2 + 12x 8
Example 2: Use Pascals Triangle to expand (3a + b)5.
Solution: The coefficients of an expansion involving the power of 5 are:
1

10

10

Therefore,
(3a + b)5 = 1(3a)5(b)0 + 5(3a)4(b)1 + 10(3a)3(b)2 + 10(3a)2(b)3
+ 5(3a)1(b)4 + 1(3a)0(b)5
= 243a5 + 5(81a4)(b) + 10(27a3)(b2) + 10(9a2)(b3) + 5(3a)(b4) + b5
= 243a5 + 405a4b + 270a3b2 + 90a2b3 + 15ab4 + b5

Example 3: Use Pascals Triangle to expand x + .

x

Solution:
5

5 1
4 1
3 1
2 1
1 1
x + = 1(x ) + 5(x ) + 10(x ) + 10(x ) + 5(x )
x

x
x
x
x
x
1
+ 1(x )
x

= x5 +

5x 4
10x 3
10x 2
5x
1
+
+
+ 4 + 5
2
3
x
x
x
x
x

= x 5 + 5x 3 + 10x +

10
5
1
+ 3 + 5
x
x
x

Example 4: Expand (x2 + 1)3

Solution:
(x2 + 1)3 = 1(x2)3(1)0 + 3(x2)2(1)1 + 3(x2)1(1)2 + 1(x2)0(1)3
= x6 + 3x4 + 3x2 + 1

Questions
Use Pascals Triangle to expand the following expressions:
1. (x + 1)6
2. (3x 1)4
3. (2x + y)5
4. (x3 + 1)4
1

5. 2x +
x

Solutions:
1. (x + 1)6 = 1(x)6(1)0 + 6(x)5(1)1 + 15(x)4(1)2 + 20(x)3(1)3
+ 15(x)2(1)4 + 6(x)1(1)5 + 1(x)0(1)6
= x6 + 6x5 + 15x4 +20x3 + 15x2 + 6x + 1
2. (3x 1)4 = 1(3x)4(-1)0 + 4(3x)3(-1)1 + 6(3x)2(-1)2 + 4(3x)1(-1)3
+ 1(3x)0(-1)4
= 81x4 + 4(27x3)(-1) + 6(9x2)(1) + 4(3x)(-1) + 1(1)
= 81x4 108x3 + 54x2 12x + 1
3. (2x + y)5 = 1(2x)5(y)0 + 5(2x)4(y)1+ 10(2x)3(y)2 + 10(2x)2(y)3 + 5(2x)(y)4
+ 1(2x)0(y)5
= 32x5 + 5(16x4)(y)+ 10(8x3)(y2) + 10(4x2)(y3) + 10xy4 + y5
= 32x5 + 80x4y+ 80x3y2 + 40x2y3 + 10xy4 + y5
4. (x3 + 1)4 = 1(x3)4(1)0 + 4(x3)3(1)1 + 6(x3)2(1)2 + 4(x3)1(1)3 + 1(x3)0(1)4
= x12 + 4x9 + 6x6 + 4x3 + 1

1
1
1
1
5. 2x + = 1(2x)3 + 3(2x)2 + 3(2x)1 + 1(2x)0
x

x
x
x
x

1
1 1
= 8x3 + 3(4x2) + 6x 2 + 3
x
x x

= 8x3 + 12x +

6
1
+ 3
x
x

The Binomial Theorem

The Binomial Theorem is an alternative method to expanding algebraic
expressions and is useful when dealing with large powers (where generating
large numbers of rows in Pascals Triangle would not be ideal). The Binomial
Theorem also has to be used when n is negative, since Pascals Triangle only
deals with positive integers.
The general Binomial Theorem is:
(a + b)n = an + nan-1b +

n(n 1) n-2 2 n(n 1)(n 2) n-3 3

a b +
a b
2!
3!
n(n 1)(n 2)(n 3 ) n-4 4
a b +
+
4!

+ bn

A simpler form of the theorem is quoted by taking the special case in which
a = 1 and b = x.
(1 + x)n = 1 + nx +

n(n 1) 2 n(n 1)(n 2) 3 n(n 1)(n 2)(n 3 ) 4

x +
x +
x + + xn
2!
3!
4!

To illustrate how to apply the above theorem lets look at a simple example
(where Pascals Triangle would probably be more ideal to use).
Use Pascals Triangle to expand (1 + x)4.
The simpler form of the theorem can be used, which is:
n(n 1) 2 n(n 1)(n 2) 3
(1 + x)n = 1 + nx +
x +
x + + xn
2!
3!
Where n in this case is 4.
4(4 1) 2 4(4 1)(4 2) 3
x +
x + x4
2!
3!
12 2 24 3
= 1 + 4x +
x +
x + x4
2
6
2
3
= 1 + 4x + 6x +4x + x4

(1 + x)4 = 1 + 4x +

Example 2:
10

1
Use the Binomial Theorem to find the first four terms of 1+ x
3

Solution:
The first four terms can be found by using
(1 + x)n = 1 + nx +

n(n 1) 2 n(n 1)(n 2) 3

x +
x
2!
3!

Where x is replaced by

1
x and n = 10, hence
3

10

10(10 1)(10 2) 1
1
1 10(10 1) 1
1+ x = 1 + 10 x +
x +
x
2!
3!
3
3
3
3

=1+

10
10(9 ) 1 2 10(9 )(8 ) 1 3
x +
x
x +

3
2 9
6
27

=1+

10
40 3
x + 5x2 +
x +
3
9

Example 3:
Use the Binomial Theorem to find the first four terms of (2 3z)11.
Solution:
Since the first term is not 1, we have to use the original form of the Theorem:

(a + b)n = an + nan-1b +

n(n 1) n-2 2 n(n 1)(n 2) n-3 3

a b +
a b
2!
3!

Where a = 2, b = -3z and n = 11,

(2 3z)11 = (2)11 + 11(2)10(-3z) +
+

11(11 1) 9
(2) (-3z)2
2!

11(11 1)(11 2) 8
(2) (-3z)3
3!

= 2048 + 11(1024)(-3z) +

11(10 )
11(10 )(9 )
(512)(9z2) +
(256)(-27z3)
2
6

= 2048 33792z + 253440z2 1140480z3

Example 4:
3

Use the Binomial Theorem to find the first four terms of (1+ x )2 .

Solution:

The first four terms can be found by using

(1 + x)n = 1 + nx +
Replacing n by

(1+ x )

3
2

n(n 1) 2 n(n 1)(n 2) 3

x +
x
2!
3!

3
2

33
3 3 3

1
1 2
3
2 2 2 2 2 2
x3 +
=1+ x+
x +
2
2!
3!
3 1
3 1 1


3
2 2 2 2 2 2 3
=1+ x+
x +
x +
2
2
6
=1+

3
3 2
1 3
x+
x
x +
2
8
16

Questions

Use the Binomial Theorem to find the first four terms of the following
expressions:
1. (1 + x)8
2. (1 4x)9
3. (2 + 5x)12
4.

(1 + x )

1
2

1 2
5. 1 x
2

Solutions:

1. (1 + x)8
Using (1 + x)n = 1 + nx +
(1 + x)8 = 1 + 8x +
= 1 + 8x +

n(n 1) 2 n(n 1)(n 2) 3

x +
x
2!
3!

8(8 1) 2 8(8 1)(8 2) 3

x +
x
2!
3!
8(7 ) 2 8(7 )(6 ) 3
x +
x +
2
6

= 1 + 8x + 28x2 + 56x3 +
2. (1 4x)9
Using (1 + x)n = 1 + nx +

n(n 1) 2 n(n 1)(n 2) 3

x +
x
2!
3!

Where x is replaced by -4x and n = 9

(1 4x)9 = 1 + 9(-4x) +
= 1 36x +

9(9 1)
9(9 1)(9 2)
(-4x)2 +
(-4x)3 +
2!
3!

9(8 )
9(8 )(7 )
(16x2) +
(-64x3) +
2
6

= 1 36x + 576x2 5376x3 +

3. (2 + 5x)12
Using the original form of the Theorem:
(a + b)n = an + nan-1b +

n(n 1) n-2 2 n(n 1)(n 2) n-3 3

a b +
a b
2!
3!

Where a = 2, b = 5x and n = 12

(2 + 5x)12 = 212 + 12(2)11(5x) +

+

12(12 1) 10
(2) (5x)2
2!

12(12 1)(12 2) 9
(2) (5x)3 +
3!

= 4096 + 12(2048)(5x) + 66(1024)(25x2)

+

12(11)(10 )
(512)(125x3)
6

= 4096 + 122880x + 1689600x2 + 14080000x3

4.

(1 + x )

1
2

Using (1 + x)n = 1 + nx +

(1 + x )

1
2

n(n 1) 2 n(n 1)(n 2) 3

x +
x +
2!
3!

1 1
1 1 1

1
1 2
1
2 2 2 2 2 2
x3 +
=1+ x+
x +
2
2!
3!
1 1
1 1 3


1
2 2 2 2 2 2 3
=1+ x+
x +
x +
2
2
6

=1+

1
1
1 3
x x2 +
x +
2
8
16

1 2
5. 1 x
2

Using (1 + x)n = 1 + nx +
Where x =

n(n 1) 2 n(n 1)(n 2) 3

x +
x
2!
3!

1
3
x and n =
2
2

1 2
3 1
1 x = 1 + x +
2
2 2

3
=1 x +
4

=1

3 3
2 2

3
2

1) 1
x
2! 2

3 3
2 2

1)( 32 2) 1
x +
3!
2

( 21 ) 1

x +
2 4
2

3
2

( 21 )( 21 )
6

1 3
x +
8

3
3 2
1 3
x +
x +
x +
4
32
128

10