Chapter

The binomial
7
expansion
Syllabus reference: 1.3
Contents: A Binomial expansions
³ ´
n
B The binomial coefficient r
C The binomial theorem
180 THE BINOMIAL EXPANSION (Chapter 7)

OPENING PROBLEM
Consider the cube alongside, which has sides of length
(a + b) cm.
b cm
The cube has been subdivided into 8 blocks by making
3 cuts parallel to the cube’s surfaces as shown.
We know that the total volume of the cube is (a+b)3 cm3 . a cm
However, we can also find an expression for the cube’s
volume by adding the volumes of the 8 individual blocks.
a cm
a cm
b cm b cm
Things to think about:
a How many of the blocks that make up the cube have dimensions:
i a by a by a ii a by a by b ANIMATION
iii a by b by b iv b by b by b ?
b By adding the volumes of the blocks, can you find an expression which is
equivalent to (a + b)3 ?

A BINOMIAL EXPANSIONS
The sum a + b is called a binomial as it contains two terms.
Any expression of the form (a + b)n is called a power of a binomial.

All binomials raised to a power can be expanded using the same general principles. In this chapter,
therefore, we consider the expansion of the general expression (a + b)n where n 2 N .
Consider the following algebraic expansions:
(a + b)1 = a + b (a + b)3 = (a + b)(a + b)2
(a + b)2 = a2 + 2ab + b2 = (a + b)(a2 + 2ab + b2 )
= a3 + 2a2 b + ab2 + a2 b + 2ab2 + b3
= a3 + 3a2 b + 3ab2 + b3

The binomial expansion of (a + b)2 is a2 + 2ab + b2 .

The binomial expansion of (a + b)3 is a3 + 3a2 b + 3ab2 + b3 .

INVESTIGATION 1 THE BINOMIAL EXPANSION

What to do:
1 Expand (a + b)4 in the same way as for (a + b)3 above.
Hence expand (a + b)5 and (a + b)6 .
2 The cubic expansion (a + b)3 = a3 + 3a2 b + 3ab2 + b3 contains 4 terms. Observe that their
coefficients are: 1 3 3 1
a What happens to the powers of a and b in each term of the expansion of (a + b)3 ?
 THE BINOMIAL EXPANSION (Chapter 7) 181

b Does the pattern in a continue for the expansions of (a + b)4 , (a + b)5 , and (a + b)6 ?
c Write down the triangle of n=0 1
coefficients to row 6: n=1 1 1
n=2 1 2 1
n=3 1 3 3 1 row 3
..
.
3 The triangle of coefficients in c above is called Pascal’s triangle. Investigate:
a the predictability of each row from the previous one
b a formula for finding the sum of the numbers in the nth row of Pascal’s triangle.
4 a Use your results from 3 to predict the elements of the 7th row of Pascal’s triangle.
b Hence write down the binomial expansion of (a + b)7 .
c Check your result algebraically by using (a + b)7 = (a + b)(a + b)6 and your results
from 1.

From the Investigation we obtained (a + b)4 = a4 + 4a3 b + 6a2 b2 + 4ab3 + b4

= a4 + 4a3 b1 + 6a2 b2 + 4a1 b3 + b4
Notice that: ² As we look from left to right across the expansion, the powers of a decrease by 1,
while the powers of b increase by 1.
² The sum of the powers of a and b in each term of the expansion is 4.
² The number of terms in the expansion is 4 + 1 = 5.
² The coefficients of the terms are row 4 of Pascal’s triangle.

For the expansion of (a + b)n where n 2 N :

² As we look from left to right across the expansion, the powers of a decrease by 1, while the
powers of b increase by 1.
² The sum of the powers of a and b in each term of the expansion is n.
² The number of terms in the expansion is n + 1.
² The coefficients of the terms are row n of Pascal’s triangle.

In the following examples we see how the general binomial expansion (a + b)n may be put to use.

Example 1 Self Tutor

Using (a + b)3 = a3 + 3a2 b + 3ab2 + b3 , find the binomial expansion of:
a (2x + 3)3 b (x ¡ 5)3

a In the expansion of (a + b)3 we substitute a = (2x)

Brackets are essential!
and b = (3).
) (2x + 3)3 = (2x)3 + 3(2x)2 (3) + 3(2x)1 (3)2 + (3)3
= 8x3 + 36x2 + 54x + 27
b We substitute a = (x) and b = (¡5)
) (x ¡ 5)3 = (x)3 + 3(x)2 (¡5) + 3(x)(¡5)2 + (¡5)3
= x3 ¡ 15x2 + 75x ¡ 125
184 THE BINOMIAL EXPANSION (Chapter 7)

For example, the product 6 £ 5 £ 4 £ 3 £ 2 £ 1 can be written as 6! .

Notice that 8 £ 7 £ 6 can be written using factorial numbers only as
8£7£6£5£4£3£2£1 8!
8£7£6= =
5£4£3£2£1 5!

The factorial rule is n! = n £ (n ¡ 1)! for n > 1

which can be extended to n! = n(n ¡ 1)(n ¡ 2)! and so on.

Using the factorial rule with n = 1, we have 1! = 1 £ 0!

We hence define 0! = 1

Example 3 Self Tutor

5! 7!
What integer is equal to: a 4! b c ?
3! 4! £ 3!

5! 5£4£3£2£1
a 4! = 4 £ 3 £ 2 £ 1 = 24 b = = 5 £ 4 = 20
3! 3£2£1
7! 7£6£5£4£3£2£1
c = = 35
4! £ 3! 4£3£2£1£3£2£1

THE BINOMIAL COEFFICIENT

The binomial coefficient is defined by
¡n¢ n(n ¡ 1)(n ¡ 2) :::: (n ¡ r + 2)(n ¡ r + 1) n!
r = =
r(r ¡ 1)(r ¡ 2) :::: 2 £ 1 r!(n ¡ r)!
| {z } | {z }
factor form factorial form

n
The binomial coefficient is sometimes written Cr or Crn .

Example 4 Self Tutor

¡n¢ n!
Use the formula r = to evaluate:
r!(n ¡ r)!
¡5¢ ¡ 11 ¢
a 2 b 7

¡5¢ 5! ¡ 11 ¢ 11!
a 2 = b 7 =
2!(5 ¡ 2)! 7!(11 ¡ 7)!
5! 11!
= =
2! £ 3! 7! £ 4!
5£4£3£2£1 11 £ 10 £ 9 £ 8 £ 7 £ 6 £ 5 £ 4 £ 3 £ 2 £ 1
= =
2£1£3£2£1 7£6£5£4£3£2£1£4£3£2£1
= 10 7920
=
24
= 330