Binomial Theorem

BINOMIAL THEOREM FOR POSITIVE INTEGRAL INDEX

Synopsis:
1.
f x and a are real numbers, then for all n N ,
( x + a ) n = n Co x n a o + n C1 x n 1a1 + n C2 x n 2 a 2 + ....
+.... + n Cr x n r a r + ... + n Cn 1 x1a n 1 + n Cn x o a n i.e
n

Formula: ( x + a )n = n Cr x n r a r .
r =0

2.

MIDDLE TERM IN A BINOMIAL EXPANSION

Synopsis:
n
If n is an even natural number, then in the binomial expansion of ( x + a )n , + 1 th
2
term is the middle term.
n +1
n+3
Formula: If is odd natural number , then
th and
th are the middle terms
2
2
In the binomial expansion of (x+a)n.
3.

GREATEST TERM

Synopsis:
Let Tr+1 and Tr be(r+1)th and rth terms respectively in the expansion of (x+a)n. Then, Tr +1 = n Cr x n r a r and
Tr = nCr-1 xn-r+1 ar-1.

n
( r 1)!( n r + 1)! a
n!
Tr +1
Cr x n r a r
n r +1 a
=
. =

=n
.
n r +1 r 1
(n r )!r !
n!
x
Tr
Cr 1 x
a
r
x

CASE1 When

Let

n +1
is an integer
x
1+
a

n +1
= m. Then, from (i), we have
x
1+
a
Tr+1 > Tr for r=1,2,3,..(m-1) (ii)
Tr+1 = Tr for r = m

.(iii)

and, Tr+1 < Tr for r = m +1, .n

(iv)

T2 > T1, T3 > T2, T4 > T3, , Tm>Tm-1

Tm+1 = Tm
and, Tm+2 < Tm+1, Tm+3 < Tm+2, Tn+1 < Tn

[From (ii)]
[From (iii)]
[From (iv)]

T1 < T2 < .<Tm-1 < Tm=Tm+1 > Tm+2 > > Tn

This shows that mth and (m+1)th terms are greatest terms.
Case II: When

n +1
is not an integer.
x
1+
a

Let m be the integral part of

n +1
. Then, from (i), we have
x
1+
a

Tr +1 > Tr for = 1, 2....., m

(v)

and,

Tr +1 < Tr for r = m + 1, m + 2,....n

.(vi)

T2 > T1 , T3 > T2 ,...., Tm+1 > Tm

[From (v)]

and, Tm + 2 < Tm +1 , Tm +3 < Tm + 2 ,..., Tn +1 < Tn

4.

[From (vi)]

T1 < T2 < T3 < .... < Tm < Tm +1 > Tm + 2 > Tm +3... > Tn +1
(m+1)th term is the greatest term.
MULTINOMIAL THEOREM
n

Using binomial theorem, we have x + a )n = n Cr x n r a r , n N

r =0

n!

(n r )!r ! x

nr

ar

r =0

r + s=n

n! s r
x a , where s=n-r.
r !s !

This result can be generalized in the following form :

( x1 + x2 + .... + xk ) n =

r1 + r2 +....+ rk = n

n!
x1r1 x2r2 ....xkrk
r1 !r2 !....rk !

The general term in the above expansion is

n!
x1r1 x2r2 x3r3 ....xkrk
r1 ! r2 ! r3 !.....rk !
The number of terms in the above expansion is equal to the number of non-negative integral solution of the
equation.
r1+r2+..+rk = n, because each solution of this equation gives a term in the above
expansion. The number of such solutions is

n + k 1

Ck 1 .

5.

PARTICULAR CASES

(i) ( x + y + z ) n =

n! r s t
x y z
r + s + t = n r ! s !t !

The above expansion has

(ii)

( x + y + z + u)n =

p+q+r + s=n

There are

n + 4 1

n + 31

C31 = n + 2 C2 terms.

n!
x p yq zr us
p! q! r ! s!

C41 = n +3 C3 terms in the above expansion.

REMARK The greatest coefficient in the expansion of ( x1 + x2 + .... + xm ) n is

( q !)

mr

n!
, where q and
[( q + 1)!]r

r are the quotient and remainder respectively when n is divided by m.

PROPERTIES OF THE BINOMIAL COEFFICEINT
PROPERTY I In the expansion of (1+x)n the coefficients of terms equidistant from the beginning and the
end are equal.
PROPERTY II The sum of the binomial coefficients in the expansion of (1+x)n is 2n.
i.e, Co + C1 + C2 + ... + Cn = 2n or,

r =0

Cr = 2n .

PROPERTY III The sum of the coefficients of the odd terms in the expansion of (1+x)n is equal to the sum
of the coefficients of the even terms and each is equal to 2n-1.
i.e, Co+C2+C4+.=C1+C3+C5+=2n-1.
PROPERTY IV Prove that:
n

n
n n 1 n2
. Cr 2 and so on.
Cr = . n 1Cr 1 = .
r
r r 1

PROPERTY V Co-C1+C2-C3+C4-+(-1)n Cn=0

1.

Find the coefficient of xm in the expression (1+x)n+2(1+x)n-1+3(1+x)n-2+.+(n-m+1) (1+x)m, where

0n.

2.

Find the sum of the series :

3.

Find the sum of the series

4.

If k and n be positive integers and sk =1k + + nk, then show that

1 3r

7 r 15r
r n

C
+
+
+ 4 r + ....upto m terms
(
1)

r
r
2r
3r
2
2
r =0
2 2
\
n

1 3r

7 r 15r
r n

C
+
+
+ 4 r + .... + to
(
1)

r r
2r
3r
2
2
r =0
2 2

r =1

m +1

Cr sr = (n + 1)m +1 (n + 1)

5.

n n
n n 1 k 2 n n 2
Prove that : 2k 2k 1
+ 2 2 k 2
0k
1 k 1

n n k n
+..+ +(-1)k-1 +.... + (1)
= , where
k 0 k

n n
k = Ck

In the expansion of the binomial expression (x+a)15, if the eleventh term is the geometric mean of the
eighth and twelfth terms, which term in the expansion is the greatest.

7.

Prove that the greatest term in the expansion of (1+x)2n has also the greatest coefficient, then
n n +1
x
,
.
n +1 n

8.

1 + 2x
1 + 3x
1 + nx
1+ x
1
C
C + .... +( 1) n
C =0
C1 +
2 2
3 3
n n
1 + nx
(1 + nx)
(1 + nx)
(1 + nx)

9.

If nCo, nC1, nC1, nC2, ..,nCn denote the binomial coefficients in the expansion of (1+x)n and p+q=1,
then prove that
n

(i)

r nCr p r q nr = np

(ii)

r =0

2 n

r =0

3r + 2
n
Cr , Where
2
r
r
+
6
+
11
+
6
r =0
expansion of (1+x)n.

Cr p r q n r = n2 p 2 + npq

10.

Evaluate

11.

(32)
When 32

12.

C0 , nC1 ,.....n Cn are the binomial coefficients in the

(32)
is divided by 7, prove that the remainder is 4.

A is a set containing n elements. A subset P of A is chosen at random. The set A is reconstructed by

replacing the elements of P. A subset Q is again chosen at random. Find the number of ways selecting
P and Q so that.
(i) P and Q are disjoint sets.

(ii) P Q contains just one element

(iii) P Q contains just one element

(iv) Q is a subset of P
(v) P Q =
(vi) P and Q have equal number of elements
(vii)

Q contains just one element more than P

(viii) P Q = A

(ix) P = Q
PASSAGE 1

Numerically greatest Term in the Expansion of (x + a)n

Let Tr and Tr+1 be rth and (r+1)th terms respectively in the expansion of bionomial

(x+a)n. Then Tr = nCr-1 xn-r+1 ar-1 and Tr+1 = nCr xn-r ar

Tr +1 n r + 1 a
=
Tr
r
x

n +1
x
n r +1 a
Now, Tr+1 > , = , < Tr According as
1 >, =, < , i.e.
>, =, < 1, i.e. according as
r
a
r

x
n +1
.
according as r <, =, >
x
+1
a
So, if

n +1
is an integer, say p, then Tr+1 > Tr if r < p otherwise Tr+1 Tr
x
+1
a

So, Tp = Tp+1 (numerically) and these are greater than any other term in the expansion.
Next, if

n +1
is a non-integer, suppose m be its integral part then Tr+1 < Tr if r m and
x
+1
a

Tr+1 < Tr if r > m.

So, Tm+1 is the numerically greatest term among the terms of the expansion.
Again we can also write that kth term is numerically greatest if Tk > Tk+1 and Tk-1.

1.

The numerically greatest term in the expansion of (1-2x)8, when x=2 is

a) 8C6 46

2.

b) 8C4 44

c) 21 7

d) None of these

Magnitude wise the greatest term in the expansion of (3, -2x)9 when x=1 is
a) 9C2 37 22

b) 9C3 36 23

c) 9C4 35 24

d) both (b) and (c)

10

3.

If x > 0 and the 4 term in the expansion of 2 + x

8

th

a) 2< x < 3
4.

5.

b) 3 < x <

10
3

has maximum value, then

c) 4 < x < 5

d) None of these

If n is even positive integer, then the condition that the numerically greatest term in the expansion of
(1+x)n may have the greatest coefficient also is
a)

n
n+2
<| x |<
n+2
n

b)

n +1
n
<| x |<
n
n +1

c)

n
n+4
<| x |<
n+4
n

d) None of these

The interval in which x must lies so that the numerically greatest term in the expansion of (1-x)21 has
the greatest coefficient is, (x > 0).

5 6
a) ,
6 5

5 6
b) ,
6 5

4 5
c) ,
5 4

4 5
d) ,
5 4