TRIANGLE

OBJECTIVES:

1. ILLUSTRATE PASCAL’S TRIANGLE IN

THE EXPANSION OF FOR SMALL POSITIVE
INTEGRAL VALUES OF.

2. PROVE THE BINOMIAL THEOREM

3. DETERMINE ANY TERM OF , WHERE IS A

POSITIVE INTEGER, WITHOUT EXPANDING

4. SOLVE PROBLEMS USING BINOMIAL

THEOREM
FACTORIALS (N!)

A very important sequences in mathematics

involve terms that are defined with special types of
product, called factorials.

Definition of Factorial
If n is any positive integer, then the n factorial
is defined by
n! = 1 * 2 * 3 * 4 * ….(n-1) * n

If n = 0, then 0! Is defined to be 0! = 1
Example: Let n is any positive integers:

0! = 1
1! = 1
2! = 2 * 1
3! = 3 * 2 * 1
4! = 4 * 3 * 2 * 1
5! = 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1
6! = 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1
PASCAL’S TRIANGLE

There is another method of finding the term

of a binomial form, this is called the Pascal’s
Triangle, named after the French
mathematician Blaise Pascal.

The coefficient is arranged in a triangular

pattern, the first and last number in each row is
1 and number in each row is the sum of two
numbers that lie diagonally above the number.
Expanding a binomial using Pascal’s Triangle

Pascal’s Triangle
1
1 1
1 2 1

1 3 3 1
1 4 6 4 1
Write the
1 5 10 10 5 1
next row.
1 6 15 20 15 6 1
Example 1. Using Pascal’s Triangle to find each term in
the expansion (x+3)6.

Solution: n = 6 ; pattern: 1, 6, 15, 20, 15, 6, 1

(x+3)6 = 1x6 + 6(x)5(3) + 15(x)4(3)2 + 20(x)3(3)3
+ 15(x)2(3)4 + 6(x)(3)5 + 1(3)6

(x+3)6 = x6 + 18x5 + 135x4 + 540x3 + 1215x2 + 1458x + 729

Example 1.1. Using Pascal’s Triangle to find each term in
the expansion (2x2+3y)6.

Solution: n = 6 ; pattern: 1, 6, 15, 20, 15, 6, 1

(2x2+3y)6 = 1(2x2)6 + 6(2x2)5(3y) + 15(2x2)4(3y)2
+ 20(2x2)3(3y)3 + 15(2x2)2(3y)4 + 6(2x2)(3y)5 + 1(3y)6

(2x2+3y)6 = ___x12 + ___x10y + ____x8 y2 + ____ x6 y3

+ ____ x4 y4 + ____ x2y5 + ____ y6
Example 2. Using Pascal’s Triangle to find each term in
the expansion (2a─b2)5.

Solution: n = 5 ; pattern: 1, 5, 10, 10, 5, 1

(2a─b2)5 = 1(2a)5 + 5(2a)4(─b2) + 10(2a)3(─b2)2
+ 10(2a)2(─b2)3 + 5(2a) (─b2)4 + 1(─b2)5

(2a─b2)5 = 32a5 − 80a4b2 + 80a3b4 ─ 40a2b6 + 10ab8 ─b10

Example 2.1. Using Pascal’s Triangle to find each term in
the expansion (3a3─2b2)5.

Solution: n = 5 ; pattern: 1, 5, 10, 10, 5, 1

(3a3─2b2)5 = 1(3a3)5 + 5(3a3)4(─2b2) + 10(3a3)3(─2b2)2
+ 10(3a3)2(─2b2)3 + 5(3a3) (─2b2)4 + 1(─2b2)5

(3a3─2b2)5 = ___a15 ─ ____a12b2 + ____a9b4 ─ ____a6b6

+ ____a3b8 ─____b10
 The Binomial Theorem

Let’s look at the expansion of (a + b)n

The binomial theorem is a formula for the expansion of (a+b)n

for any positive integer. If n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …., the expansion is

(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 + 6a2b2 + 4ab3 + b4

(a + b)5 = a4 + 5a4b + 10a3b2 + 10a2b3 + 5ab4 + b5

THE BINOMIAL THEOREM
Several observations should be noted about this
expansion of (a+b)n.
1. The number of terms is one more than the
power of the binomial, n. In each expansion,
there are n + 1 terms.
2. In each expansion, a and b have
symmetrical roles. The power of a decreases by
one in each term, whereas the power of b
increases by one.
3. The sum of the powers of each term in a
binomial expansion is n. For example,

n=4; (a+b)4 = a4 + 4a3b + 6a2b2 + 4ab3 + b4

THE BINOMIAL THEOREM
Several observations should be noted about this
expansion of (a+b)n.

4. The first term is an. The last term is bn.

5. The second term is nan─1b. The next to last term

nabn─1.

Formula:
(a+b)n = nC0an + nC1an─1b + nC2an─2b2 +…
+ nCran─r br + nCnbn
Example 3. Use the Binomial Theorem to find the
following binomial terms:

a.) (x+2y)4

b.) (3a ─ b)5

c.) (2 ─ 3y)6
x
Example 3. Use the Binomial Theorem to find the
following binomial terms:

a.) (x+2y)4
= 4C0(x)4 + 4C1(x)3(2y) + 4C2(x)2(2y)2
+ 4C3(x)(2y)3 + 4C4(2y)4
= 1(x)4 + 4x3(2y) + 6x2(4y2)
+ 4x(8y3) + 1(16y4)

= x4 + 8x3y + 24x2y2 + 32xy3 + 16y4

Example 3. Use the Binomial Theorem to find the
following binomial terms:

b.) (3a ─ b)5

= 5C0(3a)5 + 5C1(3a)4 (─b) + 5C2(3a)3 (─b)2
+ 5C3(3a)2(─b)3 + 5C4 (3a) (─b)4 + 5C5(─b)5

= 1(243a5) + 5 (81a4)(─b) + 10(27a3)b2

+ 10(9a2) (─b3) + 5(3a) (b4) + 1(─b5)

= 243a5 ─ 405a4b + 270a3b2 ─ 90a2b3 + 15ab4 ─ b5

Example 3. Use the Binomial Theorem to find the
following binomial terms:
c.) ( 2 ─ 3y)6
x = C (2/x)6 + C (2/x)5(─3y) + C (2/x)4 (─3y)2
6 0 6 1 6 2
+ 6C3(2/x)3 (─3y)3 + 6C4(2/x)2 (─3y)4
+ 6C5(2/x) (─3y)5 + 6C6 (─3y)6

= 1(64/x6) + 6(32/x5) (−3y) + 15(16/x4)(9y2) +

20(8/x3)(−27y3) + 15 (4/x2)(81y4) + 6(2/x)(−243y5) + 729y6

= 64/x6 − 576y/x5 + 2160y2/x4 −4320y3/x3 + 4860y4/x2

−2916y5/x + 729y6
THE RTH TERM
The rth term in (a+b)n is nC r−1 a n−r+1 br−1

Example 1. Find the 8th term in the expansion

(2x+3)15.

Solution: r = 8 ; n = 15 ; a = 2x ; b = 3

= 15C7 (2x)15−8+1 (3)8−1

= 6435 (2x)8 (3)7
= 3,602,776,320x8
THE RTH TERM
The rth term in (a+b)n is nC r−1 a n−r+1 br−1

Example 1.1. Find the 7th term in the expansion

(2u3 − 1/4v4)10.

Solution: r = 7 ; n = 10 ; a = 2u3 ; b = − 1/4v4

= 10C6 (2u3)10−7+1 (− 1/4v4)7−1

=
=
105/128 u12v24
THE RTH TERM
The rth term in (a+b)n is nC r−1 a n−r+1 br−1

Example 1.2. Find the 7th term in the expansion

(2 − xy)11.

Solution: r = 7 ; n = 11 ; a = 2 ; b = − xy

= 11C6 (2)11−7+1 (− xy)7−1

=
=
14,784x6y6
THE RTH TERM
The rth term in (a+b)n is nC r−1 a n−r+1 br−1

Example 1.3. Find the 6th term in the expansion

(3a + 2b)12.

Solution: r = 6 ; n = 12 ; a = 3a ; b = 2b

= 12C5 (3a)12−6+1 (2b)6−1

=
=
55,427,328 a7b5
FINDING THE COEFFICIENT IN THE EXPANSION

Formula:
n a n−r b r where: n > r
r
Example 2. Find the coefficient of a4b3 in the
expansion (a−5b)7.
Solution: n=7;r=3
n a n−r b r where: n > r
r
= 7C3 (a)7−3 (−5b)3
= 35 a4 (−125b3)
= −4375 a4b3
FINDING THE COEFFICIENT IN THE EXPANSION

Formula:
n a n−r y r where: n > r
r
Example 2.1. Find the coefficient of a4b11 in the
expansion (2a−5b)15.
Solution: n = 15 ; r = 11
n a n−r y r where: n > r
r
= 15C11 (2a)15−11 (−5b)11
= ____( ____a4 )(_____b11)
= _______ a4b11
EXERCISES:
I. Use Binomial Theorem to expand the given
binomial. Simplify your answer.

1. (3a + 5)5
2. (2x − 7y)3
3. (a2 + b3)6
4. (6 −mn)4
5. 1 + 2y 6
x
6. 3 − 4n 5
m
EXERCISES:

7. Find the term involving x5 in the expansion

(x+3)12.

8. Find the 7th term of the expansion (x2 + 4y)9.

9. Find the coefficient of x2y8 in the expansion

(4x − y)10.

10. Find the coefficient of a4b11 in the expansion

(3a − 2b)15.
II. Use Pascal’s Triangle to expand the given
binomial. Simplify your answer.

1. (a3 + by2)7

2. (5 − xy)4

3. 3 − 5n 7 4. 2a + 4b 6

2m 5