In the previous section, we saw General and Middle terms in binomial expansions. We saw a solved example also. In this section, we will see a few more solved examples.
Solved example 8.6
Show
that the middle term in the expansion of (1+x)2n is 1×3×5 . . . (2n−1)n!2nxn, where n is a positive integer.
Solution:
1. Given that, n is a +ve integer. So 2n will be an even number.
2. Since the index is 2n, there will be an odd number (2n+1) of terms.
3. We have seen that, if the number of terms is odd, there will be an unique middle term.
• It's position is given by: 2n2+1 = (n+1)
4. Now consider the expansion of (1+x)2n
• We want to find the middle term, which is the (n+1)th term.
• We know that, the (r+1)th term of the binomial expansion (a+b)n is given by: nCr an-r br
5. In our present case, a = 1, b = x and n = 2n.
So the middle term, which is the (n+1)th term will be:
2nCn12n−nxn
=2nCn×1×xn=2n!×xnn!(2n−n)!=2n!×xnn!n!=2n(2n−1)(2n−2) . . . 4×3×2×1×xnn!n!=1×2×3×4 . . . (2n−2)(2n−1)2n×xnn!n!=1×2×3×4 . . . (2n−1)2n×xnn!n!=[1×3×5× . . . ×(2n−1)][2×4×6× . . . ×2n]×xnn!n!=[1×3×5× . . . ×(2n−1)][(2×1)×(2×2)×(2×3)× . . . ×(2×n)]×xnn!n!=[1×3×5× . . . ×(2n−1)]2n[1×2×3× . . . ×n]×xnn!n!=[1×3×5× . . . ×(2n−1)]2n[n!]×xnn!n!=[1×3×5× . . . ×(2n−1)]2n×xnn!
Solved example 8.7
Find the coefficient of x6y3 in the expansion of (x+2y)9
Solution:
1. Assume that x6y3 occurs in the (r+1)th term.
• We know that, the (r+1)th term of the binomial expansion (a+b)n is given by: nCr an-r br
• In our present case, n = 9, a = x and b = 2y
2. So we can write:
(r+1)th term of the expansion of (x+2y)9 = 9Cr x9-r (2y)r
= 9Cr x9-r 2r yr = [9Cr × 2r][x9-r × yr]
• Thus we get:
♦ Constant part (coefficient) of the (r+1)th term = [9Cr × 2r]
♦ Variable part of the (r+1)th term = [x9-r × yr]
3. But given that, the variable part is x6y3
Comparing this with [x9-r × yr], we get: r = 3
4. So the coefficient = [9Cr × 2r] = [9C3 × 23] = 672
Solved example 8.8
The second, third and fourth terms in the binomial expansion (x + a)n are
240, 720 and 1080, respectively. Find x, a and n.
Solution:
1. We know that, the (r+1)th term of the binomial expansion (a+b)n is given by: nCr an-r br
• In our present case, a = x and b = a
2. For the second term, r = 1
So we get: T2 = nC1 xn-1 a1 = 240
3. For the third term, r = 2
So we get: T3 = nC2 xn-2 a2 = 720
4. For the fourth term, r = 3
So we get: T4 = nC3 xn-3 a3 = 1080
5. Dividing (3) by (2), we get:
T3T2=nC2×xn−2×a2nC1×xn−1×a1=720240=nC2×xn×x−2×a2nC1×xn×x−1×a1=3=nC2×x−1×anC1=3=n!2!(n−2)!×x−1×an!1!(n−1)!=3=1!(n−1)!×x−1×a2!(n−2)!=3=(n−1)(n−2)!×x−1×a2×(n−2)!=3=(n−1)×x−1×a2=3=(n−1)2 × ax=3
⇒ ax = 6(n−1)
6. Dividing (4) by (3), we get:
T4T3=nC3×xn−3×a3nC2×xn−2×a2=1080720=nC3×xn×x−3×a3nC2×xn×x−2×a2=1.5=nC3×x−1×anC2=1.5=n!3!(n−3)!×x−1×an!2!(n−2)!=1.5=2!(n−2)!×x−1×a3!(n−3)!=1.5=2!×(n−2)(n−3)!×x−1×a3×2!×(n−3)!=1.5=(n−2)×x−1×a3=1.5=(n−2)3 × ax=1.5
⇒ ax = 4.5(n−2)
7. Equating the results in (5) and (6), we get:
ax = 6(n−1) = 4.5n−2
⇒ 6n−12 = 4.5n−4.5
⇒ 1.5n = 7.5
⇒ n = 5
8. Substituting the value of n in (5), we get:
ax = 65−1 = 64 = 1.5
⇒ a = 1.5x
9. Substituting the value of n in (2), we get:
5C1 x5-1 a1 = 240
⇒ 5 × x4× a = 240
• Substituting for a using (8), we get:
5 × x4 × 1.5x = 240
⇒ 7.5x5 = 240
⇒ x = 2
10. Substituting for x in (8), we get:
a = 1.5 × 2 = 3
Solved example 8.9
The coefficients of three consecutive terms in the expansion of (1 + a)n are in the ratio 1: 7 : 42. Find n.
Solution:
1. Let the three consecutive terms be (r+1)th, (r+2)th and (r+3)th
2. The general term is given by: Tr+1 = nCr an-r br
• In our present case, a = 1 and b = a
3. The first of the three consecutive terms will be: nCr+1 1n-1 ar+1 = nCr+1 ar+1
So the coefficient of this first term will be nCr+1
4. The second of the three consecutive terms will be: nCr+2 1n-2 ar+2 = nCr+2 ar+2
So the coefficient of this second term will be nCr+2
5. The third of the three consecutive terms will be: nCr+3 1n-3 ar+3 = nCr+3 ar+3
So the coefficient of this third term will be nCr+3
6. We are given the ratio between the coefficients. So we can write:
nCr+1 : nCr+2 : nCr+3 = 1 : 7 : 42
7. Consider the ratio of second coefficient to first coefficient. We get:
nCr+2nCr+1 = 7
⇒ n!(r+2)![n−(r+2)]!n!(r+1)![n−(r+1)]! = 7
⇒ (r+1)![n−(r+1)]!(r+2)![n−(r+2)]! = 7
⇒ (r+1)![n−(r+1)]!(r+2)(r+1)![n−(r+2)]! = 7
⇒ [n−(r+1)]!(r+2)[n−(r+2)]! = 7
⇒ [n−r−1]!(r+2)[n−r−2]! = 7
⇒ [n−r−1][n−r−2]!(r+2)[n−r−2]! = 7
⇒ [n−r−1](r+2) = 7
⇒ n−r−1 = 7r+14
⇒ n−8r = 15
8. Consider the ratio of third coefficient to second coefficient. We get:
nCr+3nCr+2 = 427 = 6
⇒ n!(r+3)![n−(r+3)]!n!(r+2)![n−(r+2)]! = 7
⇒ (r+2)![n−(r+2)]!(r+3)![n−(r+3)]! = 6
⇒ (r+2)![n−(r+2)]!(r+3)(r+2)![n−(r+3)]! = 6
⇒ [n−(r+2)]!(r+3)[n−(r+3)]! = 6
⇒ [n−r−2]!(r+3)[n−r−3]! = 6
⇒ [n−r−2][n−r−3]!(r+3)[n−r−3]! = 6
⇒ [n−r−2](r+3) = 6
⇒ n−r−2 = 6r+18
⇒ n−7r = 20
9. So we have two equations:
(i) From (7), we have: n-8r = 15
(ii) From (8), we have: n-7r = 20
Solving these two equations, we get: r = 5 and n = 55
The link below gives some more solved examples.
In the next section we will see some miscellaneous examples.
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