Question 1
What is the coefficient of the term x^3 * y^2 in the expansion of (x+y)^5?
Step-by-Step Solution:
Concept: Multinomial theorem expansion:
$$(x_1 + x_2 + ... + x_k)^n = \sum_{a_1+...+a_k=n} \frac{n!}{a_1! a_2! ... a_k!} x_1^{a_1} x_2^{a_2} ... x_k^{a_k}$$
Given:
- Expression: (x+y)^5
- Desired term: the term x^3 * y^2
- Exponents: x = 3, y = 2
Step 1 - Verify exponent sum:
3 + 2 = 5 = 5 ✓
Step 2 - Apply multinomial coefficient formula:
Coefficient = $\frac{5!}{3! × 2!}$
Step 3 - Calculate:
- Numerator: 5! = 120
- Denominator: 3! × 2! = 6 × 2
- Denominator value: 12
Final Calculation:
Coefficient = 120 / 12 = 10
Alternative interpretation: This equals the number of ways to arrange 5 items with:
3 of type x, 2 of type y
Key Principle: Multinomial coefficients generalize binomial coefficients:
- Binomial: C(n, k) = n!/(k!(n-k)!)
- Multinomial: n!/(a! b! c! ...) where a+b+c+... = n
Quick Check: The sum of all multinomial coefficients for given n is k^n = 2^5 = 32
Concept: Multinomial theorem expansion:
$$(x_1 + x_2 + ... + x_k)^n = \sum_{a_1+...+a_k=n} \frac{n!}{a_1! a_2! ... a_k!} x_1^{a_1} x_2^{a_2} ... x_k^{a_k}$$
Given:
- Expression: (x+y)^5
- Desired term: the term x^3 * y^2
- Exponents: x = 3, y = 2
Step 1 - Verify exponent sum:
3 + 2 = 5 = 5 ✓
Step 2 - Apply multinomial coefficient formula:
Coefficient = $\frac{5!}{3! × 2!}$
Step 3 - Calculate:
- Numerator: 5! = 120
- Denominator: 3! × 2! = 6 × 2
- Denominator value: 12
Final Calculation:
Coefficient = 120 / 12 = 10
Alternative interpretation: This equals the number of ways to arrange 5 items with:
3 of type x, 2 of type y
Key Principle: Multinomial coefficients generalize binomial coefficients:
- Binomial: C(n, k) = n!/(k!(n-k)!)
- Multinomial: n!/(a! b! c! ...) where a+b+c+... = n
Quick Check: The sum of all multinomial coefficients for given n is k^n = 2^5 = 32