BINOMIAL THEOREM

Binomial Expression.
An algebraic expression consisting of two terms with +ve or – ve sign between them is called a binomial
expression.
 p q  1 4 
For example : (a + b), (2 x − 3y),  2
− 4  ,  + 3  etc.
x x  x y 
Binomial Theorem for Positive Integral Index .
The rule by which any power of binomial can be expanded is called the binomial theorem.
If n is a positive integer and x, y  C then
(x + y)n = n C0 x n−0 y 0 + n C1 x n−1 y 1 + n C2 x n−2 y 2 + ........ + n Cr x n−r y r + ...... + n Cn−1 xy n−1 + n Cn x 0 y n
n
i.e., (x + y)n =  nCr .x n−r .yr .....(i)
r =0

n!
Here n C0 , n C1 , n C2 ,...... n Cn are called binomial coefficients and n C r = for 0  r  n .
r ! (n − r ) !
1. The number of terms in the expansion of (x + y)n are (n + 1).
2. The expansion contains decreasing power of x and increasing power of y. The sum of the powers of x and y
in each term is equal to n.
3. The binomial coefficients nC0 , nC1, nC2........ equidistant from beginning and end are equal i.e., nCr =nCn−r .
4. ( x + y)n = Sum of odd terms + sum of even terms.

Some Important Expansions .

(1) (x − y)n = n C0 x n−0 .y 0 − n C1 x n−1 .y 1 + n C2 x n−2 . y 2 .... + (−1)r n Cr x n−r .y r + .... + (−1)n n Cn x 0 .y
n
i.e., (x − y)n =  (−1)r n Cr x n−r .y r .....(ii)
r =0

The terms in the expansion of (x − y)n are alternatively positive and negative, the last term is positive or
negative according as n is even or odd.
(2) Replacing x by 1 and y by x in equation (i) we get,
n
(1 + x)n = n C0 x 0 + n C1 x 1 + n C2 x 2 + ...... + n Cr x r + ...... + n Cn x n i.e., (1 + x)n =  nCr x r
r =0
n
This is expansion of (1 + x) in ascending power of x.
n
(3) (1 − x)n = n C0 x 0 − n C1 x 1 + n C2 x 2 − ...... + (−1)r n Cr x r + .... + (−1)n n Cn x n i.e., (1 − x)n =  (−1)r n Cr x r
r =0
n n n n 0 n n− 2 2 n n−4 4
(4) (x + y) + (x − y) = 2[ C0 x y + C2 x y + C4 x y + .......] and
(x + y)n − (x − y)n = 2[n C1 x n−1 y1 + n C3 x n−3 y 3 + n C5 x n−5 y 5 + .......]
(5) The coefficient of (r + 1)th term in the expansion of (1 + x)n is nCr .
(6) The coefficient of x r in the expansion of (1 + x)n is nCr .
 BINOMIAL THEOREM

General Term .
(x + y)n = n C0 x n y 0 + n C1 x n−1 y 1 + n C2 x n− 2 y 2 + ..... + n Cr x n−r y r + .... + n Cn x 0 y n
The first term = n C0 x n y 0
The second term = nC1 x n−1y1 . The third term = n C2 x n−2 y 2 and so on
The term n Cr x n−r y r is the (r + 1)th term from beginning in the expansion of (x + y)n .
Let Tr +1 denote the (r + 1)th term  Tr +1 = n Cr x n−r y r
This is called general term, because by giving different values to r, we can determine all terms of the
expansion.
In the binomial expansion of (x − y)n , Tr +1 = (−1)r n Cr x n−r y r
In the binomial expansion of (1 + x)n , Tr +1 =nCr x r
In the binomial expansion of (1 − x)n, Tr +1 = (−1)r nCr xr
Note : 1. In the binomial expansion of (x + y)n , the pth term from the end is (n − p + 2)th term from
beginning.

Properties of Binomial Coefficients.

In the binomial expansion of (1 + x)n , (1 + x)n = n C0 + n C1 x + n C2 x 2 + ..... + n Cr x r + .... + n Cn x n .
where n C0 , n C1 , n C2 ,......, n Cn are the coefficients of various powers of x and called binomial
coefficients, and they are written as C0 , C1 , C2 , ..... Cn .
Hence, (1 + x)n = C0 + C1 x + C2 x 2 + ..... + Cr x r + ..... + Cn x n .....(i)
n n
(1) The sum of binomial coefficients in the expansion of (1 + x) is 2 .
Putting x = 1 in (i), we get 2n = C0 + C1 + C2 + ..... + Cn .....(ii)
(2) Sum of binomial coefficients with alternate signs : Putting x = −1 in (i)
We get, 0 = C0 − C1 + C2 − C3 + ...... …..(iii)
(3) Sum of the coefficients of the odd terms in the expansion of (1 + x)n is equal to sum of the
coefficients of even terms and each is equal to 2n−1 .
From (iii), we have C0 + C2 + C4 + ..... = C1 + C3 + C5 + ........ ......(iv)
i.e., sum of coefficients of even and odd terms are equal.
From (ii) and (iv), C0 + C2 + C4 + ..... = C1 + C3 + C5 + ..... = 2n−1 ......(v)
n n−1 n n − 1 n− 2
(4) nCr = Cr −1 = . Cr − 2 and so on.
r r r −1
(5) nCr +nCr −1 =n+1Cr
 BINOMIAL THEOREM

Some Important Points.

(1) Pascal's Triangle :
1 (x + y)0
1 1 (x + y)1
1 2 1 (x + y)2
1 3 3 1 (x + y)3
1 4 6 4 1 (x + y)4
1 5 10 10 5 1 (x + y)5
Pascal's triangle gives the direct binomial coefficients.

Example : (x + y)4 = 1x 4 + 4 x 3 y + 6 x 2 y 2 + 4 xy 3 + y 4
(2) Method for finding terms free from radical or rational terms in the expansion of
N −r r
1/ p 1/ q N N 1 / p N −r 1/ q r N
(a +b )  a, b  prime numbers : Find the general term Tr +1 = Cr (a ) (b ) = Cr a p
.b q

Putting the values of 0  r  N , when indices of a and b are integers.

Note : Number of irrational terms = Total terms – Number of rational terms.