The Binomial

Theorem
IGCSE (Syllabus 0606)
Additional Mathematics
Module

STARTER
Have you ever wondered how
people before estimated the value
of, say, 1.0110 in the days when
there were no calculators or
computers?

Learning Objectives
At the end of the sessions, the students should be able to:
explore

the pattern in Pascals Triangle and use to find the

binomial coefficients of any term in the expansion of (a + b) n
Understand

and use the Binomial Theorem to expand (a + b) n

for a positive integer n
Identify
Solve

and find a particular term in the expansion of (a + b) n

problems related to binomial expansion

At the end of the module, you

must be able to solve the following
problems:
TYPE
1: M/J 2002_QP1

At the end of the module, you

must be able to solve the following
problems:
TYPE
2 M/J 2011_QP1

At the end of the module, you

must be able to solve the following
problems:
TYPE
3 M/J 2004_QP1

UNDERSTADING PASCALS
TRIANGLE
One

important concept that is closely tied to binomial

expansion is the PASCALS TRIANGLE.

This

array of numbers, forming a pattern listed as a triangle,

was named after the creator, Blaise Pascal.

How
How

was it generated? (A&E 1 Groupwork)

do we use the numbers generated to expand any given

binomials for positive index, n?

Lets look at the expansion of (a + b)n

(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 + 6a2a2 + 4xy3 + y4

Noticeable Patterns in the

Expansion of
The following
simple patterns emerge
n
(afor+the
b)expansion of (a + b) :
n

1.

2.

3.

There are n + 1 terms, the first being an

and the last bn.
The exponents of a decrease by 1
from term to term while the exponents
of b increase by 1.
The sum of the exponents of a and b
in each term is n.

Noticeable Patterns in the

Expansion of
(a+ b)n
The exponents of a decrease.
The exponents of b increase.

(a b )5
a 5a b 10a b 10a b 5a b b
5

1 4

Noticeable Patterns in the

Expansion of
(a+ b)n

The number of terms of the expansion is

one more than the exponent n, (n + 1)

(a b )5
a 5a b 10a b 10a b 5a b b
5

1 4

Expanding (a + b)n
When

we write the coefficients

in the expansion of (a + b)n for the
first few values of n in a triangular
array, we form the famous Pascals
triangle.

1
This is good for
lower powers but
could get very
large. We will
introduce some
notation to help us
and generalise the
coefficients with a
formula based on
what was
observed here.

1
1
1
1

3
4

1
3

1
4

10 10 5

This is would give us the coefficients for a binomial expansion

of any power if we extended it far enough.

USING PASCALS
TRIANGLE

EXAMPLE 1: Expand (x + 3)4

From Pascals triangle write down
the 4th row.

These numbers are the same numbers that are the

coefficients of the binomial expansion.
The expansion of (a + b)4 is:

1a4b0 + 4a3b1 + 6a2b2 + 4a1b3 + 1a0b4

Remember the pattern described earlier?

Now substitute x in for a and 3 in for b.

1a4b0 + 4a3b1 + 6a2b2 + 4a1b3 + 1a0b4

x4 + 4x3(3)1 + 6x2(3)2 + 4x(3)3 + 34
This simplifies to

x4 + 12x3 + 54x2 + 108x + 81

Example
This

4
Expand
(x

2y)
2:

time substitute x in for a and -2y for b. Use ( ).

x4 + 4x3(-2y)1 + 6x2(-2y)2 + 4x(-2y)3 + (-2y)4

The final answer is:
x4 8x3y + 24x2y2 32xy3 + 16y4

THE BINOMIAL THEOREM

The Binomial Coefficients

Although

Pascals triangle is useful in finding the

binomial expansion for reasonably small values of n,
it is not practical for finding (a + b)n for large values
of n.
The reason is that the method we use for
finding the successive rows of Pascals triangle
is recursive.
Thus, to find the 100th row of this triangle,
we must first find the preceding 99 rows.

BIG QUESTION

How do we get the binomial

coefficients just by using the
knowledge of
power/exponent/index of the
expansion (a + b)n?

The Factorial
Symbol

0! = 1 1! = 1
n! = n(n-1) . . . 3 2 1
n must be an integer greater than or
equal to 2
What this says is if you have a positive integer
followed by the factorial symbol you multiply
the integer by each integer less than it until
you get down to 1.
6! = 6 5 4 3 2 1 = 720

Your calculator can compute factorials.

The ! symbol is under the "math" menu
and then "prob".

0 factorial

We also define 0! as follows:

0! = 1
This

definition of 0! makes many formulas

involving factorials shorter and easier to
write.

If r and n are integers with 0 r n,

n

the symbol
is defined as
r
n
n!

r! n r !
r

This symbol is read "n taken r at a

time"
Your calculator can compute these as well. It is denoted as nCr
with the C meaning combinations in statistics, as there are n things
to choose from and you are choosing r of them for various
combinations. In Binomial Theorem, the C is the BINOMIAL
COEFFICIENT.

Binomial Coefficients

n
r

n
nr

e.g

7
3
8
5

7
4
8
3

Binomial Coefficients
To

see the connection

between the binomial
coefficients and the
binomial expansion
of (a + b)n, lets
calculate these
binomial coefficients:

5
1
0

5
1

5
5

10 5
3
4

5
10
2
5
1
5

Binomial Coefficients
5
1
0

5

1

5
5

10

5


3

4

5
10
2
5
1
5
These

are precisely the entries

in the fifth row of Pascals triangle.
In fact, we can write Pascals
triangle
as follows.

The Polished Up
Pascal Triangle

 0

0
1

0

0 1

0 1

1 2

0 1

2

0

1 2

1 2

2
3
3
2


2
3

3
3

4 3

2
34
5 3 5

35
45


3 .
4
.

Binomial Coefficients

3

0

2
3
0

3
3
4

4
0

1


0 4
1 4


5
5
0 5
1



0 5
1 5 2 5



0 .
1 . 2

.
n
n
. n
n n
n
0 1 2
0
1
2

4

24

2

.
.

4

4
4

4

.
.

5

55

n . n

nn 1 n n

n 1
n

Binomial Coefficients

n
n!

n Cr
r n r !r!

Find the following binomial coefficients.

8!
8 7 6!

28
8C2 =
6!2!
6! 2!
10 9 8 7!
10!
120

10C3 =
7!3!
7! 3!
7 6 5
35
7C3 =
3 2 1
7

C4 =

7 6 5 4
35
4 3 2 1

The Binomial Theorem

In the expansion of (a + b)n

The Binomial Theorem

n
n!

n Cr
r n r !r!

Examples of the Use of

Binomial Theorem

Illustrative Example 1:
Find the 5th term of (x + a)12
5th term will have a4
(power on a is 1 less than term
number)

1 less
than
term
number

12 4 8
4 8
a
x

495a
x

4

So we'll have x8
(sum of two powers is 12)

Here is the expansion of (x + a)12

and the 5th term matches the term we

obtained!
In this expansion, observe the following:
Powers on a and x add up to power on binomial
a increases in power as x decreases in power from term to term.

Powers on a (e.g., n) are one less than the term number (n + 1)

Symmetry of coefficients (i.e. 2nd term and 2nd to last term have
same coefficients, 3rd & 3rd to last etc.) so once you've reached the
middle, you can copy by symmetry rather than compute coefficients.

Illustrative Example 2:
Find the 6th term in the expansion of (3a + 2b)12
Using the Binomial Theorem, let x = 3a and y = 2b
and note that in the 6th term, the exponent of y is
m = 5 and the exponent of x is n m = 12 5 = 7.
Consequently, the 6th term of the expansion is:

12 11 10 9 8 7!
7
5
3a 2b
12 C5 x y
7!5!
7

= 55,427,328 a7b5

Sample Questions in Binomial

Theorem

The Binomial Theorem

n n n n 1
(a b ) a a b
0
1

n
L

n 1
n

We

n n 2 2
a b
2
ab

n 1

n n
b
n

prove this at the end of the section.

First, lets look at some of its applications.

Binomial Theorem
Use the Binomial Theorem to expand (x + y)4

4 2 2
4
4 4
3
( x y ) x x y x y
0
1
2
4
3 4
xy y 4
3
4
4

Binomial Theorem
Verify

that:
4
4
4
4 4
1 4 6 4 1
3
4
0
1
2
It

follows that:

( x y ) x 4 x y 6 x y 4 xy y
4

ing Binomial Theorem

Use the Binomial Theorem to

8
expand
( x 1)
x
We first find the expansion of (a + b)8.
Then,

we substitute

for a and 1 for b.

E.g. 5Expanding a Binomial Using

Using the Binomial Theorem, we have:
Binomial
Theorem

(a b )8
8 5 3
8 4 4
8 8 8 7 8 6 2
a a b a b a b a b
3
4
0
1
2
8 8
8 3 5 8 2 6 8 7
a b a b ab a
8
5
6
7

E.g. 5Expanding a Binomial Using

Verify that:
Binomial
Theorem

8
8
8

1 8 28
0
1
2

8
8

56 28
Thus,
5
6

8
56
3
8
8
8
7
8

8
70
4
1

(a b ) a 8a b 28a b 56a b 70a b

8

56a b 28a b 8ab b

3

E.g. 5Expanding a Binomial Using

Performing the substitutions
Binomial
Theorem
a = x and b = 1 gives:
1/2

( x 1)8 ( x 1/ 2 )8 8( x 1/ 2 )7 ( 1) 28( x 1/ 2 )6 ( 1)2

56( x1/ 2 )5 ( 1)3 70( x 1/ 2 )4 ( 1)4
56( x

) ( 1) 28( x

1/ 2 3

8( x1/ 2 )( 1)7 ( 1)8

) ( 1)

1/ 2 2

E.g. 5Expanding a Binomial Using

Binomial
Theorem
This simplifies
to:

( x 1) x 8 x
8

7/2

28 x 56 x
3

70 x 56 x
2

28 x 8 x

1/ 2

5/2

3/2

 The

Binomial Theorem can be used to find

a particular term of a binomial expansion without having to
find the entire expansion.

General Term of the Binomial

Expansion
The

term that contains ar in the expansion

of (a + b)n is:

n r n r

ab
n r

E.g. 6Finding a Particular Term in

aFind
Bin.the
Expansion
term that contains x5

in the expansion of (2x + y)20.

The

term that contains x5 is given by

the formula for the general term with:
a = 2x, b = y, n = 20, r = 5

E.g. 6Finding a Particular Term

in
a Bin.
Expansion
So,
this term
is:
20 5 15
20!
5 15
(2 x ) y
ab
15!(20 15)!
15
20!
5 15

32 x y
15!5!
496,128 x y
5

15

E.g. 7Finding a Particular Term in

a
Bin.the
Expansion
Find
coefficient of x8
in the expansion of
10
2 1
x x

Both x2 and 1/x are powers of x.

So, the power of x in each term of the expansion

is determined by both terms of the binomial.

E.g. 7Finding a Particular Term in

a
ToBin.
findExpansion
the required coefficient, we
first
find the general term in the
expansion.
By

the formula, we have:

2, b = 1/x, n = 10
a
=
x
10 r
10

term is: 10
2 r 1
2r
1 10 r
So, the general
(
x
)

x
(
x
)

x
10 r
10 r
10
3 r 10

10 r

E.g. 7Finding a Particular Term in

aThus,
Bin. Expansion
the term that contains x8
is the term in which
3r 10 = 8
r=6

So,

the required coefficient is:

10 10

210
10 6 4