Algabra help

1. May 12, 2003

socialcoma

(2X+Y)^5
can someone tell me how to expand this?

2. May 12, 2003

Tom Mattson

Staff Emeritus
Just do successive multiplications:

(2x+y)(2x+y)(2x+y)(2x+y)(2x+y)

Multiply the first two:

(4x2+4xy+y2)(2x+y)(2x+y)(2x+y)

Then the next two, etc. It's messy, but straightforward.

3. May 12, 2003

socialcoma

i know how to do that, but thanks for you replay. i am trying to find a faster way. possibly using factorials

4. May 12, 2003

Tyger

You use

the Binomial Expansion, also known as Newtons Expansion.

5. May 12, 2003

socialcoma

how do you do newtons expansion?

6. May 13, 2003

KLscilevothma

Do you know Pascal Triangle? Or have you learnt combinations, Cnr, before?

7. May 13, 2003

meteor

Newton's binomial (a.k.a. Newton's expansion) is this:

(a+b)^n=(a^n)+(n*((a^(n-1))*b))+((n*(n-1)*(a^(n-2))*b^2)/(2!))+((n*(n-1)*(n-2)*(a^(n-3))*b^3)/(3!))+...+(b^n)

n can be any rational number

Last edited: May 13, 2003
8. May 17, 2003

I_am_hamster

Or shorter

(a+b)^n=SUM (from m=0 to n) C(m out of n)*a^m*b^(n-m)

Damn can I turn on the HTML code?

Last edited by a moderator: May 17, 2003
9. May 22, 2003

Thoth

This is how it goes from a simple binomial theorem:

(a+b)0=1 since anything to the power of zero is 1

(a+b)1=a+b

(a+b)2=a2+2ab+b2

(a+b)3=a3+3a2b+3ab2+b3

As we go on and on we can clearly see that a pattern is emerging. Look at the next post just following this.

10. May 22, 2003

Thoth

First, notice that if we add the powers for a and b the result is always equal to the original power given to the term.

For example in (a+b) 2= a 2+2ab+b 2 notice that power in each term is always equal to 2. The first a2, the second a 1 and b 1 and again 1+1 is equal 2. The same goes for a3+3a2b+3ab3+b3 and on and on.
Go to the next coming post.

11. May 22, 2003

Thoth

Second, it is apparent that power decreases from a, and increases in b as we go forward.

For example in (a+b)5=a 5 b 0+ a 4 b 1 + a 3 b 2 + a 2 b 3 + a 1 b 4 + a 0 b 5.
As it must become obvious from the above, a starts with power 5 and goes to power 0 and b starts with power 0 and goes to power 5. Of course in the above we are missing the coefficient for each term. Now I show you how to find them.

12. May 22, 2003

Thoth

To make writing the coefficients clear I rewrite the above powering using only coefficients.

i.e. how many of each kind of term:
(a + b)
1 1 0+
0 1 1
-------
1 2 1 0
(a + b)2
1 2 1 0+
0 1 2 1
----------
(a + b) 3
1 3 3 1 0 +
0 1 3 3 1
-------------
(a + b) 4
1 4 6 4 1 +

0 1 4 6 4 1
---------------------------
a + b) 5
1 5 10 10 5 1

This is what is known as Pascal's Triangle. The last thing that you have to do is substitute 2x for a and y for b in the above. Good luck