MAT 111

PART II: Lecture 2

Binomial Expansion & Theorem

by

S.O. Edeki

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 The concept of factorial notation
Let n be a positive integer, then n ! is called/pronounced as
"n FACTORIAL"
Remark:
(i) 0!  1
(ii) 1!  1
Defn [n !]
n !  n(n  1)(n  2)(n  3)(n  4) (n  n)!
 n(n  1)(n  2)(n  3)(n  4) 0!
 n(n  1)(n  2)(n  3)(n  4) (1)

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EXERCISE I: Evaluate the following
(i) 4! (ii) 6!

6! 7!
(iii) (iv)
3! 10!

n! n!
(v) (vi)
(n  1)! (n  1)!

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EXERCISE I: Evaluate the following
6! 7!
(i) 4! (ii) 6! (iii) (iv)
3! 10!
Solution
(i) 4!  4(4  1)(4  2)(4  3)(4  4)!
 4(3)(2)(1)  4  3  2 1  24
(ii) 6!  6  5  4!
=(30)(24)=720
6! 6  5  4  3!
(iii)   6  5  4  120
3! 3!
7! 7! 1
(iv)  
10! 10  9  8  7! 720
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Solution Ex I. Cont'd (No. v & vi)
n! n!
(v) 
(n  1)! (n  1)(n  1  1)!
n! 1
 
(n  1)n ! n  1

n! n!
(vi) 
(n  1)! (n  1)!
n(n  1)!

(n  1)!
n
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 The notion of combination

Let n and k be positive integers, such that n  k ,

n
then Ck is called/pronounced as " n combination k ".

Defn (n combination k )

n n!
n
Ck    
 k   n  k  !k !

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 BINOMIAL EXPANSION
Let n and k be two positive integers, then the expansion of (x  y ) n
is of the form:

n
( x  y ) n   nC k x n  k y k
k 0

 nC0 x n  nC1 x n 1 y  nC2 x n 2 y 2   nCn 1 x1 y n 1  nCn y n

n(n  1) n 2 2
n 1
 x  nx y 
n
x y   nxy n 1  y n (1)
2!
Note: Because n is an integer, we have a finite series with (n+1) terms.
Eq. (1) is called the binomial expansion of (x  y ) n
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Case1: Binomial Expansion
{ involving two terms & two variables}
EX 2 : Find the Binomial Expansion of
the following:
(a) ( x  y ) 2

(b) ( x  y ) 3

(c) (2 x  y ) 3

(d) ( x  y ) 5

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Solution to Ex 2: No (a):

2
(a) ( x  y )   Ck x y
2 2 2k k

k 0
2 1 22
 C0 ( x) ( y )  C1 ( x) ( y)  C2 ( x) ( y)
2 2 0 2 1 2 2

 1.x .1  2.x . y  1.x . y

2 1 1 0 2

 x  2 xy  y
2 2
Ans.

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Solution to Ex 2: No (b):

3
(b) ( x  y )   Ck ( x) ( y )
3 3 3 k k

k 0
31 3 2
 C0 ( x) ( y )  C1 ( x) ( y )  C2 ( x) ( y )
3 3 0 3 1 3 2

 C3 ( x) ( y )
3 0 3

 1.( x) .1  3.( x) ( y )  3.( x) ( y )  1.1.( y )

3 2 1 1 2 3

 x  3x y  3xy  y
3 2 2 3
Ans.

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Solution to Ex 2: No (c):

3
(c) (2 x  y )   Ck (2 x) ( y )
3 3 3 k k

k 0
31 3 2
 C0 (2 x) ( y )  C1 (2 x) ( y )  C2 (2 x) ( y )
3 3 0 3 1 3 2

 3C3 (2 x)0 ( y )3
 1.(2 x) .1  3.(2 x) ( y)  3.(2 x) (  y)  1.1.( y )
3 2 1 1 2 3

 8 x3  3.4 x 2 y  3.2 xy 2  y 3
 8 x3  12 x 2 y  6 xy 2  y 3 Ans.
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Solution to Ex 2: No (d):
5
(d) ( x  y )   Ck x y
5 5 5 k k

k 0

 x  5 x y  10 x y  10 x y  5 xy  y
5 4 3 2 2 3 4 5

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Case2 : Binomial Expansion
{ involving two terms & ONE variable}
EX 3 : Find the Binomial Expansion of
the following with each term simplified:
4 5
 1   1 
(a)  2 x   (b)  x  
 x   x 
3
 1 
(c)  2 x   (d)  x  3 
6

 2 
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Solution to Ex 3: No (a):
4  k  1 
4 k
 1  4
(a)  2 x     Ck (2 x)  
4

 x  k 0 x
 1  4 4 1  1  4  2  1 
0 1 2

 C0 (2 x)    C1 (2 x)    C2 (2 x)  
4 4 4

x x x

 1  4 4  4  1 
3 4
4 3
 C3 (2 x)    C4 (2 x)  
4

x x
 1  2  1   1   1 
2 3 4

 1.16.x  4.8.x .    6.4.x .    4.2.x.    1.1.  

4 3

x x x x

8 1
 16 x  32 x  24  2  4
4 2
Ans
x x

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Solution to Ex 3: No (a): ALTERNATIVE APPROACH.
4  k  1 
4 k
 1  4
(a)  2 x     Ck (2 x)  
4

 x  k 0 x

 1.x 
4
  Ck (2) ( x)
4 4k 4 k 1 k

K 0

x 
4
  Ck (2) (1) ( x)
4 4k k 4k 1 k

K 0
4
  4Ck (2)4k (1) k ( x) 4k x  k
K 0
4
  4Ck (2)4k (1) k ( x) 42 k {the compresssed form}
K 0

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 Soln to Ex 3: No (a): ALTERNATIVE APPROACH cont'd.
4
 1  4
  2 x     4Ck (2) 4k (1) k ( x) 42 k
 x  K 0
 4C0 (2) 40 (1)0 ( x) 42(0)  4C1 (2) 41 (1)1 ( x) 42(1)
 4C2 (2) 42 (1)2 ( x)42(2)  4C3 (2) 43 (1)3 ( x) 42(3)
 4C4 (2) 44 (1)4 ( x) 42(4)
 1.16.x 4  4.23 (1) x 2  6.4.1.1  4.2.(1).x 2  1.1.1.x 4
8 1
 16 x  32 x  24  2  4
4 2
Ans
x x

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Remarks on Binomial Expansion of ( x  y ) n ,
where n is positive integers:
Recall:
(x  y )5  x 5  5 x 4 y  10 x 3 y 2  10 x 2 y 3  5 xy 4  y 5
Hence, in ( x  y ) , we have:
n

(i ) ( n  1) terms.
(ii) the powers of x decrease from n to 0 WHILE
the powers of y increase from 0 to n.
k 0 k 1 k  2 k 3 k  4 k 5 k k k value
(iii) =
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 Tk 1 T position of term

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17
 K value and the position of term
Since
k 0 k 1 k  2 k 3 k  4 k k k value

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 Tk 1 T position of term

in the expansion of ( x  y ) n , then

n n
( x  y ) n   nCk x n  k y k   Tk 1
k 0 k 0

where
Tk 1  nCk x n  k y k (T* )
Eqn (T* ) is called the GENERAL term of ( x  y ) n .
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 Remark: Finding a particular term

Ex 4: Note & Exercise

To find a particular term in (x  y ) n , eqn (T* ) is used.
In this case, the 'COMPRESSED FORM' is used.

Ex 4a): Find the 4th term in the expansion of ( x  y )5 .

12
 2 1
Ex 4b): Find the term in x in the expansion of  2 x   .
9

 x

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Ex 4a): Find the 4th term in the expansion of ( x  y )5 .

Solution:
5
( x  y )5   5Ck x 5 k y k  Tk 1  5Ck x 5 k y k (E 4 a )
k 0

Tk 1  T4  k  1  4  k  3
So putting k  3 in (E 4 a ) gives:
Tk 1  5Ck x 5 k y k
T31  5C3 x 53 y 3
 T4  10 x 2 y 3 Ans.
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Obtaining Coefficient of terms in Binomial Expansion

The coefficient of a particular term in

the expansion of (x  y ) can easily be n

computed when the associated term

is known.
The general and the 'COMPRESSED'
forms can be employed.
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Ex 5: On Coefficient of terms in Binomial Expansion

(a ) Find the coefficient of x 2 the expansion of

4
 1 
 2x  
 x 
(b) Find the coefficients of (i) x 2 (ii) x 5 in the
12
 x 
expansion of 1  
 2 

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Ex 5: On Coefficient of terms in Binomial Expansion
Solution Ex 5 (a):
4
 1  4

  k
4k 42 k
(5a)  2 x   4
C (2) ( 1) k
( x )
 x  K 0
 Tk 1  4Ck (2) 4 k (1) k ( x) 4 2 k
To get the term containing x 2 , equate 'our x  term '
to 'their x  term '.
i.e.
x 4 2 k  x 2  4  2k  2  k  3
 T31  4C3 (2) 43 (1)3 ( x) 4 2(3)
 4.2.(1) x 4 2  8 x 2
Hence, the coefficient of x 2 is  8 Ans.
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Terms independent of a variable in Binomial Expansion

To obtain a term INDEPENDENT of a

variable in a binomial expansion, the same
approach as to that of obtaining a particular
term or coefficient of a term is followed BUT
we set 'our x  term ' to x 0
( 'their x  term ')

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Ex 6: Terms independent of a variable in Binomial Expansion

(6a) Find the term independent of x in

4
 1 
the expansion of  2x  
 x 
(6b) Find the term independent of x in
10
 2 5 
the expansion of  3x  3 
 x 
(6c) Find the constant term in the expansion of
10
 3 2 
x  2 
 x 

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 4
 1  4

  k
4k 42 k
(6a)  2 x   4
C (2) ( 1) k
( x )
 x  K 0
 Tk 1  4Ck (2) 4 k (1) k ( x) 4 2 k
To get the term independent of x, equate 'our x  term '
to x 0 { 'their x  term '}
 x 4  2 k  x 0  4  2k  0 2k
 T21  4C2 (2) 4 2 (1) 2 ( x) 4 2(2)
 T3  6.4.1x 0  24
4
 1 
Hence, the term independent of x in  2 x   is:
 x 
T3  24
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Exercice! Exercice!! Exercice!!!
(a ) Find the coefficient of the 5th term
the expansion of (x  3) 6

(b) What is the last term the expansion

of (x  y ) ?
9

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