Binomial Theorem

Pascal Triangle

Warm Up Questions
1 n =0
1 1 n =1 1. What patterns do you notice?

1 2 1 n =2
n =3 2. Does this triangle have symmetrical parts?
1 3 3 1
1 4 6 4 1 n=4
1 5 10 10 5 1 3. Use your pattern to find the next two rows.
(Also you may consider symmetrical parts.)

Before Start: Assumed Knowledge

Combination Statement: K𝐧𝐫N =

Question : How can we form pascal’s triangle by using combination statement.

The Relationship Between Binomial Theorem and Coefficients in Pascal’s Triangle

Exercise: Expand the followings.

(a+b)0=
(a+b)1=
(a+b)2=
(a+b)3=
 What do you notice about the coefficients?
Is there any similarity between these coefficients and the ones in Pascal’s Triangle?

Binomial means a polynomial that has two terms such as (a+b).

So expansions above are called as binomial expansion.
The coefficients of a binomial expansion are called as binomial coefficients.
Each part which are added is called as a term.

(a+b)4= a4 + 4a3b + 6a2b2 + 4ab3 + b4

Coefficients :
Sum of coefficients:
Terms :
# of terms :

Question: Expand each of the following. ( Consider Pascal’s Triangle.)

(x + y)4 =

(m + n)5 =

(x – 2)4 =

(2x – 3)6=

Warm Up
 Expand (2x + 3y)5.

= 1. (2x)5(3y)0 + 5.(2x)4(3y)1 + 10.(2x)3(3y)2 + 10.(2x)2(3y)3 + 5. (2x)1(3y)4+ 1. (2x)0(3y)5

=K𝟓𝟎N(2x)5(3y)0 +K𝟓𝟏N(2x)4(3y)1 + K𝟓𝟐N(2x)3(3y)2 + K𝟓𝟑N(2x)2(3y)3 + K𝟓𝟒N(2x)1(3y)4+ K𝟓𝟓N(2x)0(3y)5
= 32 x5 + 240 x4y + 720 x3y2 + 1080x2y3 + 810xy4 + 243y5

Binomial Theorem

For any binomial (x+y) where x,y Î R and n Î N+,

(x+y)n=KfgN𝑥 f + KfiN𝑥 fji 𝑦 + KflN𝑥 fjl 𝑦 l + … + Kfji

f
N𝑥𝑦 fji + KffN𝑦 f

In the given expansion ;

a) There are ___________ terms,

b) The sum of powers of each term is ___________

c) The coefficients and powers of terms ______________ and ______________ in a symmetric pattern.

d) The coefficients of terms which are equidistant from the beginning and from the end

are__________

e) The sum of coefficients can be found by substituting ________________

f) General term can be written as ________________________.

g) General term is the (________)th term from the beginning and (________)th term from the end.

NOTE: In the expansion (𝑥 + 𝑦)f ;

a. Constant term: 𝑥 = 𝑦 = 0
b. Middle term: If 𝑛 = 2𝑘, Klv
v
N · 𝑥v · 𝑦v

c. (𝑟 + 1)yz term from the end: Kf{N · 𝑥 { · 𝑦 fj{

Example 1:
Find the expansion of ( 3x + y ) .
4

The coefficients are: ________________

The expansion is: _____________________________________________

Example 2: Find the first 4 terms in the expansion ( 2a - 3b ) .

10

(
Example 3: The expansion of x 2 - 8 y )
3k -4
has 24 terms. Determine the value of k.

Example 4: Determine the seventh term of (3 y + 2)9 .

(
Example 5: Determine the middle term of 4a 3 - b 2 . )8
Example 6: One term in the expansion of (x + a )10 is 13440𝑥 } . Determine the numerical value of a if
a > 0.

15
æ 1 ö
Example 7: For the expression ç 2 x - 2 ÷
è x ø

a) Write and simplify an expression for the general term.

b) Find the constant term.

8
æ1 ö
Example 8: Find the coefficient of x y in the expansion of ç x + 3 y ÷
4 4

è2 ø
Review Questions

1. Expand (3x – y)5

2. How many terms are there in the expansion (𝑥 − 2𝑦)• ?

3. Write the 4th term of the expansion (2𝑥 − 𝑦 l )} .

4. Write the 3rd term of the expansion (𝑥 − 3𝑦)• .

5. Write the middle term of the expansion (2𝑥 − 𝑦)} .

6. Find the coefficient of y2 in the expansion of (2y + 7)3.

Find the non-zero value of b if the coefficient of x 2 in the expansion of ( b + 2 x ) is equal to

6
7.
the coefficient of x5 in the expansion of ( 2 + bx ) .
8
 l …
8. Find the coefficient of the 4th term from the last in the expansion of ‚ƒ − 𝑥 l „ .

9. Find 𝑎 if 𝑎𝑥 l is a term of expansion of (3𝑥 + 2)(𝑥 + 1)…

10. Find 𝑎 if 𝑎𝑥 ˆ 𝑦 is a term in the expansion of the binomial (2𝑥 + 𝑦)} , 𝑎 ∈ 𝑅.

University Entrance Exam Questions

l …
1. What is the constant term in the expansion of ‚𝑥 l + „ ?
ƒ‹

A) 120 B)140 C)160 D)180 E)200

1972

2. If x4+ax3+bx2+cx+d=(x-k)4, what is k in terms of a?

Œ Œ
A) -4a B)-} C) Ž√𝑎 D)} E)4a
1985

3. What is a in the following equation (𝑥 + 2𝑦)• = 𝑥 • + ⋯ + 16𝑎𝑥 ˆ 𝑦 • + ⋯?

A) 248 B)200 C)148 D)112 E)96

1986

i …
4. What is the constant term in the expansion of ‚𝑥 + „ ?
ƒ‹

A) 15 B)16 C)18 D)20 E)22

1996

5. What is the coefficient of the term with x4y4 in the expansion of (x2-2y2)n?
A) -48 B)-24 C)12 D)24 E)48
1997
6. What is the coefficient of the 11th term is the expansion(3x+2y)23?

A) 2ig . 3iˆ . 𝐶(23,10)

B) 2ii . 3il . 𝐶(23,11)
C) 2ii . 3il . 𝐶(23,12)
D) 2ii . 3il . 𝐶(23,10)
E) 2iˆ . 3ii . 𝐶(23,11)

7. P(x)=(x-1)4 +(x-1)5 is given. Find coefficient of the term with x3?

A) 4 B) 6 C) 9 D) 10 E) 11

2013
IB Questions

1. Consider the expansion of (x2 – 2)5.

(a) Write down the number of terms in this expansion.

(b) The first four terms of the expansion in descending powers of x are

x10 – 10x8 + 40x6 + Ax4 + ...

Find the value of A.

(Total 6 marks)

2. Consider the expansion of (x + 2)11.

(a) Write down the number of terms in this expansion.

(1)

(b) Find the term containing x2.

(4)
(Total 5 marks)

3. (a) Expand (2 + x)4 and simplify your result.

(3)

(b) Hence, find the coefficient of x2 in (2 + x)4.

(3)

(Total 6 marks)

l •
4. Find the coefficient of x4 in the expansion of ‚3𝑥 l − ƒ„ .
5. The fifth term

in the expansion of the binomial (a + b)n is given by Kig

}
N𝑝… (2𝑞 )} .

(a) Write down the value of n.

(1)

(b) Write down a and b, in terms of p and/or q.

(2)

(c) Write down an expression for the sixth term in the expansion.
(3)
(Total 6 marks)

6. Find the coefficient of a3b4 in the expansion of (5a + b)7.

(Total 4 marks)

7. One of the terms of the expansion of (x + 2y)10 is ax8 y2. Find the value of a.
(Total 6 marks)

l •
8. Determine the constant term in the expansion of ‚𝑥 − ƒ ‹ „ .

(Total 4 marks)
9. Consider the binomial expansion (1 + 𝑥 )} = 1 + K}iN𝑥 + K}lN𝑥 l + K}ˆN𝑥 ˆ + 𝑥 } .

(a) Find the constant term by substituting x = 1 into both sides, or otherwise, evaluate
K}iN + K}lN + K}ˆN.

(b) Evaluate K•iN + K•lN + K•ˆN + K•}N + K••N + K•…N + K•–N + K••N

(Total 4 marks)

10. Consider the expansion of the expression (x3 − 3x)6.

(a) Write down the number of terms in this expansion.

(b) Find the coefficient of x12.

(Total 6 marks)

11. Complete the following expansion.

(2 + ax)4 = 16 + 32ax + …

(Total 6 marks)