Binomial Coefficients and its Properties

Bal Bahadur Tamang

Lecturer in Mathematics
Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus, Ilam
Tribhuvan University
tamang.bb100@gmail.com

Abtract

In this article the binomial coefficient generates Pascals triangle, satisfying

the recurrence relation is binomial coefficient or combinatorial coefficients.
The binomial coefficients occur in many areas of mathematics and especially
in combinatorics. The binomial coefficients are the positive integers that oc-
cur as coefficient in the binomial theorem.
Key Words: binomial coefficients, equidistance, labeling, Pascals triangle,
positive integer.

1 Introduction
The Indian mathematicians knew about the coefficients in the expansions of
(a+b)n , for 0 ≤ n ≤ 7. Bombelli also gave the coefficients in the expansion of
(a + b)n , for n = 1, 2, ..., 7 in 1572 and Oughtred gave them for n = 1, 2, ..., 10
in 1631. The arrangement of these coefficients was in the form of a diagram
called Meru-Prastara, provided by Pingla in his book Chhanda shastra. The
term binomial coefficients was first introduced by the German mathematician
Michael Stipel (1486−1567) in approximately (1544). The arithmetic triangle
known as Pascals triangle and similar to the Meru-Prastara of Pingla was
constructed by the French mathematician Blaise Pascal (1623−1662) in 1665.
The present form of the binomial theorem for integral values of n appeared in
Trate du triange arithmetic, written by Pascal and published posthumously
in 1665.
An algebraic expression containing two terms is called a binomial expression.
Bi means two and nom means term. Thus, the general type of a binomial
is (a + b), (x − 2), (3x + 4) etc. The expression of a binomial raised to a
small positive power can be solved by ordinary multiplication but for large
power the actual multiplication is laborious and for fractional power actual

1
multiplication is not possible. The triangular arrangement of the binomial
coefficients are often attributed to Blaise Pascal who described them in the
17th century. It was, known to Chinese mathematician Yang Hui in the 13th
century.
If we wanted to expand a binomial expression with a large power, e.g. (a +
b)45 , use of Pascals triangle would not be recommended because of the need
to generate a large number of rows of the triangle. An alternative method is
to use the binomial theorem. The theorem enables us to expand (a + b)n in
increasing powers of b and decreasing powers of a. We will look at expanding
expressions of the form (a + b)2 , (a + b)3 , ..., (a + b)45 .
In 1667 Newton had stated the more general
∞  
n
X n
(a + b) = an bn−r
r=0
r

for arbitrary n in a later but not proof.

The first proof of the binomial theorem in the form
n  
n
X n
(a + b) = an bn−r
r=0
r

for n ≥ 1 was given by Jakob Bernoulli in his postumously published Ars

Conjectandi in 1716.  
n
In 1878 Lucas gave a method for finding the remainder when is divided
r
by a prime p.
To calculate the binomial coefficients is to use Pascals Triangle where the
binomial coefficients are arranged in a triangle. The construction of a Pascal
Triangle is based upon the relationship between binomial coefficients. Pascals
triangle is a geometric arrangement of the binomial coefficients in a triangle.
Pascals triangle can be constructed using Pascals addition rule, which is given
below:
     
n n−1 n−1
= +
r r−1 r
for n > 0, n ≥ r with    
n n
= =1
0 n

2
This is known as Pascals Triangle Identity.
Another two basic properties are symmetry condition:
   
n n
=
r n−r
   
n n n−1
=
r r r−1

2 Methodology
The overall objective of this paper is to overview Binomial Coefficient. The
specific objectives are to be determine the properties of Binomial Coefficients
and to address some associated problems in Binomial Coefficients. It is
descriptive study where the proposition is proved through examples. The
main result of Binomial Coefficients and its properties was made on the
basis of different published documents.

3 Results
3.1 Pascal’s Triangle
We construct a Pascal’s Triangle by using Pascals addition rule
1
.&
1 1
.& .&
1 2 1
.& .& .&
1 3 3 1
.& .& .& .&
1 4 6 4 1
.& .& .& .& .&
1 5 10 10 5 1
In the Pascals triangle, we make the following observations

3
 1. Each number is the sum of the two numbers diagonally above it.

2. Each row is symmetric.

3. The sum of the numbers in each row is a power of 2.

4. In any row, the sum of the first, third, fifth,. . . numbers is equal to the
sum of the second, fourth, sixth,. . . numbers and so on.

3.2 Combination
Each of the groups or selections which can be made out of a given number
of things by taking some or all of them at a time is called Combination. The
numbers of the selection of n different objects taken r at a time is denoted
n


r
or Cn,r and is defined by
 
n n!
=
r (n − r)!r!

So the numbers nr or Cn,r are called Binomial Coefficients

3.3 Binomial Theorem

If a and b are real numbers and n is a positive integer. Then
         
n n n n n−1 n n−2 2 n n−r r n n
(a + b) = a + a b+ a b +· · ·+ a b +· · ·+ b
0 1 2 r n

Where the binomial coefficent

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

It is denoted by  
n
r

4
and defined by
 
n n! n(n − 1) . . . (n − r + 1)
= =
r (n − r)!r! r(r − 1) . . . 1

for 0 ≤ r ≤ n

Some observations of Binomial Expansion

1. The total number of terms in the binomial expansion of (a + b)n is

(n + 1).

2. In the expansion, the first term is raised to the power of the binomial
and in each subsequent terms the power of a reduces by one with si-
multaneous increase in the power of b by one, till power of b becomes
equal to the power of binomial, i.e. the power of a is n in the first term
(n + 1) in the second term and so on, ending with zero in the last term.
At the same time power of b is 0 in the first term, 1 in the second term
and 2 in the third term and so on, ending with n in the last term.

3. In any term the sum of the indices (exponents) of a and b is equal to

n.

4. The coefficients in the expansion follows a certain pattern known as

pascals triangle.

3.4 Binomial coefficient

The Binomial Coefficient was introduced by Andreas V. Ettingshusean in
1826 in [1]. Combinatorially, the binomial coefficient counts the number of r-
element subsets of an n-element set. It is the fact that the binomial coefficient
generates Pascals triangle.
In the Binomial expression, we have
         
n n n n n−1 n n−2 2 n n−r r n n
(a + b) = a + a b+ a b +· · ·+ a b +· · ·+ b
0 1 2 r n

5
In the Mathematics, the binomial coefficients are the positive integers that
occur as coefficient in the binomial theorem. The binomial coefficient is
indexed by a pair of integers 0 ≤ r ≤ n. The coefficients
       
n n n n
, , , ...,
0 1 2 n

in successive rows for n = 0, 1, 2, . . ..

It gives a triangular, array called Pascal’s triangle, satisfying the recurrence
relation are known as binomial coefficient or combinatorial coefficients. The
binomial coefficients occur in many areas of mathematics and especially in
combinatorics.

4 Discussions
4.1 Properties of Binomial coefficient
n


1. For all integer n and r with 0 ≤ r ≤. Then r
is positive integer in
[2].
Proof:
We have, Binomial Expansion
n  
n
X n
(a + b) = an b r
r=0
r

When a = 1. Then

(1 + b)n = (1 + b)(1 + b) . . . (1 + b)
n
X
= Cn,r br
r=0

where Cn,r is the number of ways of selecting r items out of n items,

which are positive integers.
Clearly, Cn,0 = Cn,n = 1

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 Now

(1 + b)n+1 = (1 + b)(1 + b)n

Xn
= (1 + b) Cn,r br
r=0
n
X n
X
r
= Cn,r b + Cn,r br+1
r=0 r=0
n
X
=1+ {Cn,r + Cn,r−1 } br−1 + bn+1
r=1

Differentiation of both sides, then we have

n
X
(n + 1)(1 + b)n = r {Cn,r + Cn,r−1 } br−1 + bn
r=1

Equating coefficients of br−1 on both sides for r = 1, 2, . . . , n − 1.

Then, we get

(n + 1)Cn,r = Cn,r + Cn,r−1

n − (r − 1)
⇒ Cn,r = Cn,r−1
r
(n − (r − 1))(n − (r − 2))
⇒ Cn,r = Cn,r−2
r(r − 1)
Continuing, we get
(n − (r − 1))(n − (r − 2)) . . . (n − r + r)
Cn,r = Cn,r−r
r(r − 1) . . . 1
(n − r + 1)(n − r + 2) . . . (n)
⇒ Cn,r =
  r!
n
=
r
 
n
Hence is positive integer.
r
2. Equidistance from the beginning and end of the coefficients of expan-
sion of (1 + b)n are equal.

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 Proof:  
th n
The coefficient of (r + 1) term from the beginning is .
r
Total number of expansion is n + 1.
So (r + 1)th term from the end = (n + 1) − (r + 1) = (n − r) terms
before it and
(r + 1)th te rm fromthe end th
 = (n − r + 1) terms from the beginning.
n
So its coefficient is .
   n−r

n n
Since = .
r n−r
Hence the coefficients are equal.
3. If we have r1 labels of one kind, r2 labels of second kind and
r3 = n − r1 − r2 labels of third kind. Then there are
n!
r1 !r2 !r3 !
ways to apply these labels to n objects, is called Lebeling Theorem in
[3].
Proof:
 
n
There are ways to choose the r1 objects that get the first kind of
r1  
n
label and then there are ways to choose the objects that get the
r2
second kind of label. After that, the remaining r3 = n − r1 − r2 objects
get the third kind of label. By the product principle, the total number
of labeling, is the product of the two binomial coefficients.
Thus,
  
n n − r1 n! (n − r1 )!
=
r1 r r1 !(n − r1 )! r2 !(n − r1 − r2 )!
n! (n − r1 )!
=
r1 !(n − r1 )! r2 !(n − r1 − r2 )!
n!
=
r1 !r2 !(n − r1 − r2 )!
n!
=
r1 !r2 !r3 !

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5 Conclusions
In this paper we give some of the basic properties  of Binomial Coefficients
n
and their generalizations. Binomial Coefficients is define for all integer
r
n and r several forms of the Binomial Theoremvalied  for all n are provided.
n
The Pascal’s triangle of Binomial Coefficients for 0 ≤ r ≤ n has been
  r
n
extended by defining for all integers n, r. So the Binomial Coefficients
  r
n
is a positive integer. We have sum of all the binomial coefficients is
r
equal to 2n and the sum of all the odd binomial coefficients is equal to the
2n n−1
sum of allthe even
 binomial
 coefficients and each is equal to 2 = 2 . Also,
n n
we have = .
r n−r
Among them some of the most interesting natural numbers are the binomial
coefficients. They have uses not only in combinations but in other branches
of mathematics such as algebra, analysis and topology.

References
[1] A. V. Ettingshausen, Dia kombinatorische analysis, als Vorbere-
itungslehre Zum Studium der theorrestischen hohenren Mathematik,
Published: J.B. Wallishausser, 1826.

[2] G. Rzadkowski, On identities from trigonometric formulae of multiple

angles, Math. Gaz. 85(2001), 289293.

[3] I. Niven, H. S. Zuckerman, H. L. Montgomery, An introduction to

the number theory, India: Wiley India Pvt. Ltd, Ansari Road,Fifth
Edition,(2015).

[4] L. Comtet, Advanced combinatorics, Reidel, Dordrecht, The Nether-

lands, 1974.

[5] R. B. Corcion, On p, q-binomial coefficients, Electronic Journal of Com-

binatorial Number Theory, Marawi City, Philippines, 2008.

9
[6] R. L. Graham, D. E. Knuth and O. Patashnik, Concrete Mathemat-
ics: A Foundatation for Computer Science, Addison-Wesley, Reading,
Massaachusetts, 1989.

a=b+c (1)

a=b+c (2)
=d+e+f +g+h+i+j+k+l
+m+n+o (3)
=p+q+r+s (4)

***

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