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Maclaurin Series
The Maclaurin series are (generally) infinite polynomial1 expansions of the mathematical functions about x=0, including a set of standard expansions for the standard mathematical functions2 (although the natural logarithm function is effectively shifted to x=1 since ln(0)=-), but it can be generalised to all functions that are continuously differentiable at x=0. The Maclaurin series is a special case of the Taylor Series expansion of a functions; the Taylor series 3 can be applied at any point, the Maclaurin series can only be applied at x=0. A truncated Maclaurin series can often be used to approximate the mathematical functions for small values of x. Standard Maclaurin Series The following list shows the Maclaurin expansion for some of the most common functions, for more please refer to a more comprehensive list 4.

The following expansion is true for any real number and with | x|<1, it is called the binomial series expansion,

Note that the series make use of the factorial(!) function5.

Polynomials Standard Mathematical Functions 3 Taylor Series 4 Wolfram.com 5 Factorial

1 2

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Exercise. Use Maclaurin series terms up to no higher than the term to find approximations to

(exact value = 1.048809)

General Maclaurin Series For general functions, the Maclaurin series can be derived either from the manipulation of the standard Maclaurin series or from the general definition of the Taylor series expansion applied at x=0:

where the shorthand notation

0 and

20= 2

2|0

etc.. The following examples show various methods of deriving

Maclaurin series.

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Example of deriving a Maclaurin series from the general formula. In this example, we derive the Maclaurin expansion for sin(x). From the general formula above

In this case

, hence

Substituting these back into the general formula gives

Examples of deriving a Maclaurin series from the standard Maclaurin series. (a) In this example we find the Maclaurin series for First substitute in the series above .

(b) In this example we find the Maclaurin series for

In order to find the Maclaurin expansion we multiply the Maclaurin expansions for :

Since we only require the series up to terms in expansion is

then the Maclaurin