Binomial Theorem

- The Binomial Theorem is the quicker way (less slow way) of multiplying binomials. The
formula goes as follows

This formula represents this

Recall that the factorial notation "n!" means " the product of all the whole numbers between 1 and n", so,
for instance, 6! = 123456. Then the notation "10C7" (often pronounced as "ten, choose seven")
means:
Many calculators can evaluate this "n choose m" notation for you. Just look for a key that looks like "nCm"
or "nCr", or for a similar item on the "Prob" or "Math" menu, or check your owner's manual under
"probability" or "combinations".

The evaluation will probably look something like this:

There is another way to find the value of "nCr", and it's called "Pascal's
Triangle". To make the triangle, you start with a pyramid of three 1's, like this:

Then you get the next row of numbers by adding the pairs of numbers from
above. (Where there is only one number above, you just carry down the 1.)
 Keep going, always adding pairs of
numbers from the previous row..

To find, say, 6C4, you go down to the row

where there is a "6" after the initial "1",
and then go over to the 5th (not the 4th)
entry, to find that 6C4 = 15.

As you might imagine, drawing Pascal's Triangle every time you have to expand a binomial would be a
rather long process, especially if the binomial has a large exponent on it. People have done a lot of
studies on Pascal's Triangle, but in practical terms, it's probably best to just use your calculator to find nCr,
rather than using the Triangle. The Triangle is cute, I suppose, but it's not terribly helpful in this context,
being more time-consuming than anything else. For instance, on a test, do you want to evaluate "10C7" by
calculating eleven rows of the Triangle, or by pushing four buttons on your calculator?

I could never remember the formula for the Binomial Theorem, so instead, I just learned how it worked. I
noticed that the powers on each term in the expansion always added up to whatever n was, and that the
terms counted up from zero to n. Returning to our initial example of (3x 2)10, the powers on every term
of the expansion will add up to 10, and the powers on the terms will increment by counting up from zero to
10:
(3x 2)10 = 10C0 (3x)100(2)0 + 10C1 (3x)101(2)1 + 10C2 (3x)102(2)2
+ 10C3 (3x)103(2)3 + 10C4 (3x)104(2)4 + 10C5 (3x)105(2)5
+ 10C6 (3x)106(2)6 + 10C7 (3x)107(2)7 + 10C8 (3x)108(2)8
+ 10C9 (3x)109(2)9 + 10C10 (3x)1010(2)10
Note how the highlighted counter number counts up from zero to 10, with the factors on the ends of each
term having the counter number, and the factor in the middle having the counter number subtracted from
10. This pattern is all you really need to know about the Binomial Theorem; this pattern is how it works.

Your first step, given a binomial to expand, should be to plug it into the Theorem, just like I did above.
Don't try to do too many steps at once. Only after you've set up your binomial in the Theorem's pattern
should you start to simplify the terms. The Binomial Theorem works best as a "plug-n-chug" process, but
you should plug in first; chug later. I've done my "plugging" above; now "chugging" gives me:
 (1)(59049)x10(1) + (10)(19683)x9(2) + (45)(6561)x8(4) + (120)(2187)x7(8)

+ (210)(729)x6(16) + (252)(243)x5(32) + (210)(81)x4(64)

+ (120)(27)x3(128) + (45)(9)x2(256) + (10)(3)x(512) + (1)(1)(1)(1024)

= 59049x10 393660x9 + 1180980x8 2099520x7 + 2449440x6 1959552x5

+ 1088640x4 414720x3 + 103680x2 15360x + 1024

As painful as the Binomial-Theorem process is, it's still easier than trying to multiply this stuff out by hand.
So don't let the Formula put you off. It's just another thing to memorize, so memorize it, at least for the
next test. The biggest source of errors in the Binomial Theorem (other than forgetting the Theorem) is the
simplification process. Don't try to do it in your head, or try to do too many steps at once. Write things out
nice and clearly, as I did above, so you have a better chance of getting the right answer. (And it would be
good to do a bunch of practice problems, so the process is fairly automatic by the time you hit the next
test.)