Combinatorics MOC

Binomial expansion

The binomial expansion states that #m/thm/num

(π‘₯+𝑦)𝑛=π‘›βˆ‘π‘˜=0(π‘›π‘˜)π‘₯π‘˜π‘¦π‘›βˆ’π‘˜

where the so-called binomial coΓ«fficients are given by

(π‘›π‘˜)=𝑛!π‘˜!(π‘›βˆ’π‘˜)!=𝑛Cπ‘˜

and 𝑛Cπ‘˜ is the number of ways to choose π‘˜ elements of a set of size 𝑛. See also Generalized binomial coΓ«fficient.

Proof

#missing/proof

Properties

  1. (π‘›π‘˜)=(π‘›π‘›βˆ’π‘˜)
  2. 𝑛(π‘›βˆ’1π‘›βˆ’1)=π‘˜(π‘›π‘˜)
  3. (π‘š+π‘›π‘˜)=π‘˜βˆ‘π‘—=0(π‘šπ‘—)(π‘›π‘˜βˆ’π‘—)
  4. π‘›βˆ‘π‘š=π‘˜(π‘›π‘˜)(π‘›βˆ’π‘šπ‘˜βˆ’π‘—)=(𝑛+1π‘˜+1)
  5. π‘›βˆ‘π‘š=π‘˜(π‘šπ‘˜)=(𝑛+1π‘˜+1)
Proof of 1–3, 5

Clearly choosing π‘˜ elements from a set of size 𝑛 is the same as choosing 𝑛 βˆ’π‘˜ elements to be excluded, proving ^P1.

Consider choosing a team of size π‘˜ from a set of 𝑛 people, where one member of the team is the captain. One can either first choose a captain and then the rest of the team (LHS), or the team and thence the captain (RHS), proving ^P2.

Consider a set of π‘š red marbles and 𝑛 blue marbles. The number of arbitrary choices of π‘˜ marbles is the LHS, but this is the same as every possible way of choosing 𝑗 red marbles and π‘˜ βˆ’π‘— blue marbles (RHS). This proves ^P3.

A proof of ^P4 is missing, but ^P5 follows directly for 𝑗 =π‘˜.

Proof of 4

#missing/proof


#state/develop | #lang/en | #SemBr