Prove the multinomial theorem.

Short Answer

Expert verified

It is proved that

x1+x2+x3+......+xrn=(n1,n2,....,nr):n1+n2+...+nr=nnn1,n2,nrx1n1,x2n2,...,xrnr

Step by step solution

01

Step 1. State the Multinomial Theorem.

The Multinomial Theorem is

x1+x2+x3+......+xrn=(n1,n2,....,nr):n1+n2+...+nr=nnn1,n2,nrx1n1,x2n2,...,xrnr

02

Step 2. Prove the theorem.

We have to prove that

x1+x2+x3+......+xrn=(n1,n2,....,nr):n1+n2+...+nr=nnn1,n2,nrx1n1,x2n2,...,xrnr

Let us expand the L.H.S

x1+x2+x3+......+xrn=x1+x2+x3+......+xr×x1+x2+x3+......+xr×...ntimes

There will be many terms formed in the final expansion. Terms are formed by

selecting one variable in eachx1+x2+x3+......+xr

Thus out of n products ofx1+x2+x3+......+xr

x1canbeselectedforn1timesx2canbeselectedforn2times...xrcanbeselectedfornrtimes

Such thatn=n1+n2+....+nr

To select these, it is equivalent to separating ninto groups of n1,n2,....,nr.

This distribution can be done inn!n1!n2!......nr!ways

But this is just one term such that

x1appears n1times

x2appears n2times

and so on.

So, the final term isnn1,n2,nrx1n1,x2n2,...,xrnr

The other terms would be having different n1,n2,....,nrand hence the product is a summation of all such terms like (1), where n=n1+n2+....+nr

Therefore,x1+x2+x3+......+xrn=(n1,n2,....,nr):n1+n2+...+nr=nnn1,n2,nrx1n1,x2n2,...,xrnr

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