Math 2300 Practice with Factorials Name:

We define the factorial for positive integers by

0! = 1 and n! = 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · · · n for n ≥ 1.

Computing.
We compute the first few factorials:

0! = 1
1! = 1
2! = 1 · 2 = 2
3! = 1 · 2 · 3 = 6
4! = 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 = 24
5! = 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 = 120

Note that in order to get to 4! from 3!, we need only to multiply 3! by four:

4! = 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 = (1 · 2 · 3) · 4 = 3! · 4.

This is a specific case of the general fact that

n! = (n − 1)! · n.

Simplifying.
By writing out the terms of each factorial, we can simplify expressions that involve multiple facto-
rials in the numerator and denominator of a fraction. For example,
6! 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· 5
· 6 6 6
1
= = = =
4! · 5! (1 · 2 · 3 · 4) · (1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· 5
) 1·2·3·4 6
· 4 4
Another example:
10! 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· 5
· 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10
= = 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 = 30, 240
5! 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· 5

Here’s another example. In this one, the factorials are too long to write out completely, so we use
dots (“· · · ”) to indicate the continuing product. It’s useful to write down the first few terms and
the last few terms.
100! 1 · 2 · 3 · · · 96 · 97 · 98 · 99 · 100
=
97! 1 · 2 · 3 · · · 96 · 97
1
· 2
· 3
· · · 
·
96  · 98 · 99 · 100
97
=
1
· 2
· 3
· · · 
·
96 97

= 98 · 99 · 100
= 970, 200.

Of course, what we really want to do is to simplify expressions with some general positive integer n
in them.
Math 2300 Practice with Factorials Name:

First, if we have a factorial with some variable inside it, such as (2n)!, and we want to expand
this factorial, we will always use the dots (“· · · ”) to indicate a continuing product between some
beginning and ending terms. So for example, we could write

n! = 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n − 2) · (n − 1) · n

where the dots indicate that we are also multiplying with all of the numbers between 4 and n − 2.
Another example: we could write

(2n)! = 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (2n − 2) · (2n − 1) · (2n)

where the dots indicate that we are also multiplying with all of the numbers between 4 and 2n − 2.
It’s up to you how many beginning and ending terms you want to write out.
How do we simplify fractions that involve factorials with n in them? The first step is to write out
each factorial product, including a few beginning and ending terms. For example,

(n + 2)! 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n + 1) · (n + 2)
=
n! 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n − 1) · n

It’s a good idea to try to get the ending terms to match up at some point. To do this, we’ll write
down a couple more ending terms of the product in the numerator:

(n + 2)! 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n − 1) · n · (n + 1) · (n + 2)
=
n! 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n − 1) · n

Now we cancel just like we did with numbers:

(n + 2)! 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· · · 
(n −1) · n · (n + 1) · (n + 2)

= = (n + 1)(n + 2).
n! 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· · ·  −1)
(n · n


You can use this technique along with algebra to simplify more complicated expressions:

(n!)2 n! · n!
=
(n − 1)!(n + 1)! (n − 1)!(n + 1)!
[1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n − 2) · (n − 1) · n] · [1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n − 2) · (n − 1) · n]
=
[1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n − 2) · (n − 1)] · [1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n − 2) · (n − 1) · n · (n + 1)]
[1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· · · 
(n−2)  −1) · n] · [1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n − 2) · (n − 1) · n]
 · (n 
=
[1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· · · 
(n −2) · 
 (n−1)] · [1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n − 2) · (n − 1) · n · (n + 1)]

n · [1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n − 2) · (n − 1) · n]
=
1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n − 2) · (n − 1) · n · (n + 1)]
n · [1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· · · 
(n −2)
 · (n
 − 1) · 
 n]
=
1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· · · 
(n −2) · 
 (n−1) · 
 n · (n + 1)]
n
= .
n+1
Math 2300 Practice with Factorials Name:

Exercises.

1. Write each long expression as a single factorial.

(a) 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8
(b) 1 · 2 · 3 · · · 100
(c) 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · · · (n − 2) · (n − 1) · n
(d) 1 · 2 · 3 · · · 56 · 57 · 58
(e) 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · · · (5n − 4) · (5n − 3) · (5n − 2)

2. Write each factorial as a long product, using “· · · ” as necessary. Include at least two beginning
and at least two ending terms.

(a) 8!
(b) 45!
(c) (n + 1)!
(d) (2n)!
(e) (2n + 5)!

3. Simplify the following expressions.

5!
(a)
6!
7!
(b)
5!
(3!)2
(c)
9
3! · 4!
(d)
5!
9!
(e)
5! · 3!
(4 − 1)!
(f)
4!
(2 · 3)!
(g)
3!
88!
(h)
90!
77! · 2!
(i)
78!
38! · 3!
(j)
39!
Math 2300 Practice with Factorials Name:

4. Simplify the following expressions.

(n + 2)!
(a)
n!

n
(b)
n!

(n − 1)! · n!
(c)
(n!)2

(n + 5)!
(d)
(n + 1)!

((n + 1)!)3
(e)
(n!)3

(n2 − 1)!
(f)
(n2 )!

(2n)!
(g)
(2n − 2)! · 2!