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Algebra II: What Is the Binomial Theorem?

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2016-03-26 12:44:05
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A binomial is a mathematical expression that has two terms. In algebra, people frequently raise binomials to powers to complete computations. The binomial theorem says that if a and b are real numbers and n is a positive integer, then

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You can see the rule here, in the second line, in terms of the coefficients that are created using combinations. The powers on a start with n and decrease until the power is zero in the last term. That's why you don't see an a in the last term — it's a0, which is really a 1. The powers on b increase from b0 until the last term, where it's bn. Notice that the power of b matches k in the combination.

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Mary Jane Sterling (Peoria, Illinois) is the author of Algebra I For Dummies, Algebra Workbook For Dummies, Algebra II For Dummies, Algebra II Workbook For Dummies, and many other For Dummies books. She taught at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois for more than 30 years, teaching algebra, business calculus, geometry, and finite mathematics.