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Binomial Theorem

Definition

$ (x+y)^n = \sum_{i=0}^n {n \choose k}x^i y^{n-i}, $

$ \text{where } {n \choose k} = \frac{n!}{n!(n-r)!}. $

Example

  • What is $ \sum_{i=0}^n {n \choose k} = {n \choose 0} + {n \choose 1} + .. + {n \choose n} ? $

Solution: Using the Binomial Theorem, let x = y = 1. Then, $ \sum_{i=0}^n {n \choose k} (1)^i (1)^{n-i} = \underline{\sum_{i=0}^n {n \choose k}} = (1+1)^n = \underline{2^n}. $

Alumni Liaison

Correspondence Chess Grandmaster and Purdue Alumni

Prof. Dan Fleetwood