Dabour Hub EGEgyptian Curriculum 2026/2027
1-3 (b) The greatest term

1-3 (b) The greatest term

Point 7 of 8 — Lesson 1: Counting Principle, Permutations (nPr) and Combinations (nCr)Question bank: 2 questions (2 with pictures)

07 1-3 (b) The greatest term

Method

  • Compare Tr+1 with Tr using the ratio Tr+1Tr=n−r+1r⋅ax at the given numerical values.
  • Solve Tr+1Tr>1 to find the values of r for which the terms are still increasing.
  • The greatest term is the last one for which the ratio is greater than (or equal to) 1; if the ratio equals 1 for some r, two terms are equal and both are greatest.
✍️ Worked examples

Example 17: Find the greatest term in the expansion of (x+y)10 when x=2 and y=3.

Solution:

  • Tr+1Tr=11−rr⋅32.
  • The ratio is ≥1 when 3(11−r)≥2r, i.e. 33≥5r, i.e. r≤6.6.
  • So T7≥T6≥⋯≥T1 in the sense that the terms increase up to T7 (use r=1,…,6).
  • For r≥7 the ratio is below 1, so T8<T7 and the terms decrease after T7.
  • The greatest term is T7=10C6 (2)4(3)6=210×16×729=2 449 440.

Using the binomial expansion to prove relations

  • Put suitable values of x in (1+x)n to prove results such as nC0+nC1+⋯+nCn=2n and nC0−nC1+nC2−⋯=0.
  • Adding the two results gives the sum of the even-ranked combinations equal to the sum of the odd-ranked ones, each equal to 2n−1.

📝 Question bank for this point

2 questions linked to this point only, 2 of them with pictures.