►Further Pure Mathematics(4PM1) ◄ ► U Hein Htet (B.E-Mech, DPM UK) ◄ .

Chapter

6 The binomial Series

►Binomial Expansion

(x+y)n (n = 1, 2, 3, …)

►By long Multiplication

(x + y)1 =x+y
(x + y)2 = x2 + 2xy + y2
(x + y)3 = x3 +3x2 y + 3xy2 + y3
(x + y)4 = x4 + 4x3y + 6x2y2 + 4xy3 + y4
(x + y)5 = x5 + 5x4y + 10x3y2 + 10x2y3 + 5xy4 + y5
■ Note that
1. When the power of the binomial is n, there are n + 1 terms.

2. The sum of the power of x and y in every term is equal to the power of the
binomial.

3. When the terms are arranged as shown above, the powers of x are in descending order
while the powers of y are in ascending order.

4. Pascal’s Triangle

Binomial Coefficients

(x + y)1 1 1
(x + y)2 1 2 1
(x + y)3 1 3 3 1
(x + y)4 1 4 6 4 1
(x + y)5 1 5 10 10 5 1

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Hinthar International School
►Further Pure Mathematics(4PM1) ◄ ► U Hein Htet (B.E-Mech, DPM UK) ◄ .

►The Binomial Theorem

The coefficient of (x+y)4 = 1, 4 , 6 , 4 , 1 which can be expressed as

4 4  3 4  3  2 4  3  2 1
1, , , ,
1 1 2 1 2  3 1 2  3  4

In general, if n is a positive integer,

n(n − 1) n–2 2 n(n − 1)(n − 2)  (n − r + 1) n–r r

(x+y)n = xn + nxn–1y + x y + --- + x y + --- + yn
1 2 1 2  3  r

The coefficient written in the above expansion can be denoted by nCr.

n(n − 1) n n(n − 1)(n − 2)  (n − r + 1) n
Thus nC0 = 1, nC1 = n, nC2 = , Cr = , Cn =1
1 2 1 2  3  r

Thus the binomial expansion can be expressed as

(x+y)n = nC0 xny0 + nC1 xn–1y + nC2xn–2y2 +---+ nCr xn–ryr +---+ nCn–1 xyn-1 + nCn x0yn
𝑛 𝑛 𝑛 𝑛 𝑛 𝑛
(x+y)n =( ) xny0 + ( ) xn–1y + ( )xn–2y2 +---+ ( ) xn–ryr +---+ ( ) xyn-1 + ( )x0yn
0 1 2 𝑟 𝑛−1 𝑛
n n
 n
(x+y) =n

r =0
n
Cr x n−r
y =    x n−r y r
r

r =0  r 

►(r+1)th term (or) general term

𝑛
(r+1)th term of (x+y)n = nCr xn–r yr = ( ) xn–ryr
𝑟

n 𝑛
Cr is sometimes written as ( ) where n is a positive integer. This can be evaluate on most
𝑟
𝑛
calculations. Cr = ( ) = is often pronounced ‘n choose r’.
n
𝑟

n 𝑛 𝑛!
Cr = ( ) =
𝑟 (𝑛−𝑟)!∙𝑟!

7! 7! 7  6  5  4  3  2 1 7  6
e.g.
7
C2 = = = =
(7 − 2)! 2! 5! 2! (5  4  3  2 1)(2 1) 2 1

►Special Case

(1+x)n = 1 + nC1 x + nC2 xn–2 + nC3 xn–3 + --- + xn

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Hinthar International School
►Further Pure Mathematics(4PM1) ◄ ► U Hein Htet (B.E-Mech, DPM UK) ◄ .

■Note That
n
C0 = nCn = 1, nC1 = nCn–1 = n, ---, nCr = nCn–r

10 10  9
C8 = 10C2 = = 45
1 2
15 15 14 13
C12 = 15C3 = = 455
1 2  3

►Determine the range of values for which x is true and valid for an expansion

In the expansion (x+y)n , when n is positive integer, the expansion is finite and exact.
When n is negative or a fraction, the expansion will be infinite. In this case (1+x)n will be only in
the range ‒1 < x < 1 or │x│ < 1,

(1 + x )n = 1 + nx + n(n − 1) x 2 + n(n − 1)(n − 2) x3 + ...

2! 3!

where n is negative or a fraction,

(1  ax) n
1
The expansion will be valid for ax  1 , x or −
1
x
1
a a a

49
Hinthar International School
►Further Pure Mathematics(4PM1) ◄ ► U Hein Htet (B.E-Mech, DPM UK) ◄ .

Additional Exercises
1. Expand the followings.

(a) (1 + 2x)4 (b) (2x – y)5 (c) (a + 2b)3

5 4 4
 x x y  3
(d) 2+  (e)  +  (f) 1 − 
 2 2 3  x
2. Find, in ascending powers of x, the first three terms in the expansion of
(i) (1 + 2x)5 (ii) (3 – x)4
Hence find the coefficient of x2 in the expansion of (1 + 2x)5 (3 – x)4.

3. Find, in ascending powers of x, the first three terms in the expansion of

(1 – 2x)4 and (2 + x2)5.
Hence find the coefficient of x2 in the expansion of (1 – 2x)4 (2 + x2)5.

4. Find, in ascending powers of x, the first three terms in the expansion of

5
 x
(i) (1 + 2x)4 (ii) 2− 
 2
5
 x
Hence find the coefficient of x2 in the expansion of (1 + 2x)4  2 −  .
 2
5. Find, in ascending powers of x, the first three terms in the expansion of
6
 x
(i) (1 + 2x)5 (ii) 2− 
 2
6
 x
Hence find the coefficient of x in the expansion of (1 + 2x)  2 − 2  .
2 5
 

6. In the binomial expansion of (3 + kx)9, the coefficient of x3 and of x4 are equal.

Calculate the value of k.

7. If the coefficient of x4 in the expansion of (3 + 2x)6 is equal to the coefficient of x4 in

expansion of (k + 3x)6, find k.

8. If the coefficient of x4 and x5 in the expansion of (3 + kx)10 are equal, find the value
of k.
8
 a
9. In the expansion of  x 2 −  , a ≠ 0, the coefficient of x7 is four times the
 x
10
coefficient of x . Find the value of a.

10. The coefficient of x2 in the expansion to (2x + k)6 is equal to the coefficient of x5 in the
expansion of (2 + kx)8. Find k.

50
Hinthar International School
►Further Pure Mathematics(4PM1) ◄ ► U Hein Htet (B.E-Mech, DPM UK) ◄ .

11. In the expansion of (2 + 3x)n, the coefficient of x3 and x4 are in the ratio 8 : 15.
Find the value of n.

12. Write down and simplify the first four terms in the binomial expansion of (1–2x)7.
Use it to find the value of (0.98)7, correct to four decimal places.

13. Find the first 4 terms in the expansion of the following in ascending powers of x.
State the interval of values of x for which each expression is valid.
1 1
(a) 1− 6 x (b) (c) 3 (d) 3 8 − 16x
1 + 5x 1 + 9x

10 1
(e) 2 (f)
 1  (2 + x)3
1 + x 
 5 
1 5 75
14. Show that = 1 − x + x 2 to the first three terms of the expansion and
2
 5  2 16
1 + x 
 4 
state the interval of values of x for which the expansion is valid. Hence deduce the
8
(4 + 5x )2
first three terms in the expansion of .

15. Expand √1 + 8𝑥 in ascending powers of x up to and including the term in x3. by giving a
suitable value to x, find an approximation for √1.08.
(a) √108. (b) √3.
1
16. Given that the coefficient of x3 in the expansion of is ‒ 2160, find a.
(1 + ax)3
17. Given that terms involving x4 and higher powers may be ignored and that
1 1
− = bx2 + cx 3 , find the values of a, b and c.
(1 + ax) (1 + 3x) 4
3

7
18. Given that the expansion of (1+ax)n is 1 ‒ 2x + 3
x2 + kx3 + ... , find the value of k.

19. Find the coefficient of x2 in the expansion of

(1 − 2 x )2 .
(1 + x )2
20. Find the expansion of √1 − 2𝑥 in ascending powers of x up to the term in x3. By putting
x = 0.01 to find an approximate for √2 .
1 + 2x
21. Find the first three terms in the expansion of x of . State the values of x for
1 − 4x
which the expression is valid. by substituting x = 0.01 in your expansion, find the
approximation for √17 .

51
Hinthar International School
►Further Pure Mathematics(4PM1) ◄ ► U Hein Htet (B.E-Mech, DPM UK) ◄ .

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