Using the Binomial Expansion in Approximation

Only elementary arithmetic operations are used

Namely: addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division
Example
Find 3 accurate to three decimal places

Solution
1
3 = (1 + 2 ) 2 x =2⇒ x >1
Expansion will not converge
 1
1
 1 1
3 = (2 + 1)
2
2 = 2 • 1 +  x = ⇒ x <1
 2 2

Expansion will converge but the square root

of 2 can not be calculated using elementary
arithmetic operations
1
1
 1 1
3 = ( 4 − 1)
2
2 = 2 • 1 −  x = − ⇒ x <1
 4 4

Expansion will converge

 1
 1
2
3 = 2 • 1 − 
 4
  1  1   1  1   3  
   −  2   −  −  3 
 1 1 2
  2 
 − 1   2  2   2   − 1  +  
= 2 1 + −  +   +  
 2 4 2 •1  4 3 •2 •1  4 
 
 

3 = 2(1 − 0.125 + 0.0078125 − 0.00097625 + )

3 ≅ 1.7324219

The first term neglected in the summation

gives an estimate of the error
   1   1  3   5  
    −  −   −  4
  2   2  2   2   1  
Error = 2 •  − 
 4 • 3 •2 •1  4 
 
 
= 0.0003051758
Alternatively
4 1 1 1
3 = ( 3) 2 = ( 48 ) 2
4 4
1
1 1 7 1  2
= ( 49 − 1) 2 = 1 − 
4 4 49 
1
Fast convergence x = << 1
49
Example

Find 3
340 accurate to four decimal places

Solution
1
3
340 = (125 + 215 ) 3

1
 215  3 215
= 5 1 +  x = >1
 125  125
 1
3
340 = ( 216 + 124 ) 3

1
 124  3 124
= 6 1 +  x = <1
 216  216
1
3
340 = ( 343 − 3) 3

1
 3  3 3
= 7 1 −  x = <1
 343  343
Faster convergence and hence fewer terms are
needed to achieve the required accuracy
 1
 3  3
3
343 = 7 •  1 − 
 343 
  1  2  
   −  2 
 1 3   3  3   − 3  +  
= 7 1 + −  +  
 3  343  2 • 1  343  
 
 
3
343 = 7 • (1 − 0.00291545 − 0.0000084996 − )
= 6.97953235

The multiplier “7” should not affect the

fourth decimal place in order to have the
required accuracy
Finding the Sum of some Series
Now, we have the series and it is required to
find its original binomial form
Example
1 1• 3 1• 3 • 5 1• 3 • 5 • 7
S= + + + +
3 3 • 6 3 • 6 • 9 3 • 6 • 9 • 11
Solution
The numerators factors are divided by “-2”
so that they are descending by “1” , while
the denominator factors are divided by “3”
 1 1 3 1 3 5
(−2) • (−2) 2
• • (−2) 3
S = −2 + −2 −2 2 + −2 −2 −23 +
1(3) 1 • 2(3) 1 • 2 • 3(3)

Adding “1” to both sides

1 1 3
(−2) • (−2) 2
S +1 = 1+ − 2 + −2 −2 2
1(3) 1 • 2(3)
1 3 5
• • (−2) 3
+ −2 −2 −23 +
1 • 2 • 3(3)
 −1 −1
  − 2  2
1 2
S + 1 = 1 +    =  = 3
  3   3

S = 3 −1
Example

1 1• 4 1• 4 • 7
S= − + − + 
5 5 • 10 5 • 10 • 15
Solution
The numerators factors are divided by “-3”
so that they are descending by “1” , while
the denominator factors are divided by “5”

1 1 4 1 4 7
(−3) • (−3) 2
• • 3
− 3 − 3 − 3 − 3 − 3 − 3  −3
S= − +   − + 
1(5) 1 • 2(5) 2
1• 2 • 3  5 
 Considering the expansion with a change in
the sign of x
1 1 4 1 4 7
• 2 • • 3
− 3 3 −3 −3 3 −3 −3 −3 3
S =−  −   −   −
1!  5  2!  5  3! 5
Multiplying by “-1” and adding “1”
1 1 4
• 2
− 3 3 −3 −3 3
− S +1 = 1+  +  
1!  5  2!  5 
1 4 7
• • 3
− 3 − 3 − 3 3
+   −
3! 5
 −1 −1 1
 3 3 8 3 5 3
− S + 1 = 1 +  =  = 
 5 5 8
3
5
S = 1−
2
Example

Find the coefficient of x15 in the expansion of

4
1 − x 
 
1 + x 
Solution
4
1 − x 
 = (1 + x ) (1 − x )
4 −4
Q=
1 + x 
 (
Q = 1 + 4x + 6x2 + 4x 3 + x 4 )
 −4 (−4)(−5)
• 1 + ( − x) + ( − x) 2

 1! 2!
(−4)(−5)(−4 − r + 1) 
+ + ( − x ) + 
r

r! 
Coefficient of x15 is obtained by the sum of
products of
0 15
Coeff.x ⊗ Ceff.x ⇒ r = 15
1 14
Coeff.x ⊗ Ceff.x ⇒ r = 14
2 13
Coeff.x ⊗ Ceff.x ⇒ r = 13
3 12
Coeff.x ⊗ Ceff.x ⇒ r = 12
4 11
Coeff.x ⊗ Ceff.x ⇒ r = 11
 Notice that the coefficients can be written in
terms of combinations, e.g.

(− 4)(− 5)(− 4 − r + 1) r
(-1)
r!
4 • 5 • 6 •  • (r + 4 - 1)
=
r!
(r + 3)! r+3
= = Cr
3! r!
 15 18
Coeff.x = (1)C 3 + (4)C + (6)C
17
3
16
3

+ (4)C + (1)C
15
3
14
3

15 18 • 17 • 16 17 • 16 • 15 16 • 15 • 14
Coeff.x = (1) + (4) + (6)
3•2•1 3•2•1 3•2•1
15 • 14 • 13 14 • 13 • 12
+ (4) + (1)
3•2•1 3•2•1
= 9080
Example
Find the coefficient of x24 in the expansion of

(x 3 4
+ x + x ++ x5
)
8 4

Solution
( 3
Q = x + x + x ++ x 4 5
)
8 4

12 2 5 4
= x (1 + x + x +  + x )
4
1 − x 6

= x  12

 1− x 
 4
1 − x 6
Q=x  12

1 − x

 = x 12
1 (
− x 6 4
( )
1 − x ) −4

 
12  4 6 4•3 2 
= x  1 + (− x ) + (−6) + 
 1! 2! 
 −4 (−4)(−5)(−4 − r + 1) r 
 1 + (− x) +  + (− x) +  
 1! r! 

24 15 9
Coeff.x = (1)C 3 + (−4)C + (6)(1)
3

= 125
The Multinomial

( x1 + x 2 + x 3 +  + x m ) n

For the case n is a positive integer

To find the general term, consider x1 is

chosen r1 times, x2 is chosen r2 times, …
Thus
r1 + r2 + r3 +  + rm = n
Hence, the general term has the form
n n−r1 n−r1 −r2 n−r1 −r2 −−rm −1
C Cr1 r2 Cr3 C rm

n! (n − r1 )! (n − r1 − r2 )!
= • • 
r1! (n − r1 )! r2 ! (n − r1 − r2 )! r3 ! (n − r1 − r2 − r3 )!
(n − r1 − r2 −  − rm−1 )!
•
rm! (n − r1 − r2 −  − rm )!

n!
=
r1! r2 ! rm!
Example
2 3 5
Find the coefficient of x y z
10
 z
in the expansion of  1 + 2 x − 3y + 
 2
Solution
The term having these powers of x, y, and z is
5
10! z
(1)0 (2x)2 (−3y)3  
0! 2! 3! 5! 2
Thus 5
10! 1
Coeff. x2 y 3z5 = (2)2 (−3)3   = −8505
0! 2! 3! 5! 2
Example
Find the coefficient of x12

in the expansion of (1 + x + 2x ) 3 8

Solution
The general term is
8!
r1! r2 ! r3 !
(
(1)r1 (x)r2 (2x)3 ) r3

r1 + r2 + r3 = 8

The power of x should satisfy r2 + 3r3 = 12

ri , i = 1, 2, 3 are chosen to satisfy to

satisfy these two conditions
 r1 r2 r3
4 0 4
2 3 3
0 6 2

First choose the highest possible value of r

corresponding to highest power of x (r3 in
this example) and then those with lower
power 8! 8!
Coeff. x 7 = (2)4 + (2)3
4! 0! 4! 2! 3! 3!
8!
+ (2)2 = 5712
0! 6! 2!
Example
Find the coefficient of x7

in the expansion of (1 − 2x − x 3
+x )
4 6

Solution
The general term is
6!
r1! r2 ! r3 ! r4 !
(
(1)r1 (−2 x)r2 − x 3 ) (x )
r3 4 r4

r1 + r2 + r3 + r4 = 6

The power of x should satisfy r2 + 3r3 + 4r4 = 7

ri , i = 1, 2, 3,4 are chosen to satisfy to

satisfy these two conditions
 r1 r2 r3 r4
4 0 1 1
2 3 0 1
3 1 2 0
1 4 1 0

6! 6!
Coeff. x 7 = (−2)0 (−1)1 + (−2)3 (−1)0
4! 0! 1! 1! 2! 3! 0! 1!
6! 1 2 6!
+ (−2) (−1) + (−2)4 (−1)1
3! 1! 2! 0! 1! 4! 1! 0!

Coeff. x 7 = −30 − 960 − 120 − 480 = −1590