how we solve this.... factorial question
Answers
Definition of Factorial
Let n be a positive integer. n factorial, written n!, is defined by
n! = 1 × 2 × 3 × ... (n - 1) × n
The special case when n = 0, 0 factorial is given by: 0! = 1
Question 1
Evaluate the following expressions:
4!
5! × 5!
3! × 0!
4! / 0!
6! / (2! × 4!)
Solution to Question 1
4! = 1 × 2 × 3 × 4 = 24
5! × 5! = (1 × 2 × 3 × 4 × 5) 2 = 120 2 = 14400
3! × 0! = (1 × 2 × 3) × 1 = 6
4! / 0! = (1 × 2 × 3 × 4) / 1 = 24
6! / (2! × 4!)
= (1 × 2 × 3 × 4 × 5 × 6) / [ (1 × 2 ) × ( 1 × 2 × 3 × 4) ]
= 15
Question 2
Simplify the following expressions:
(n + 2)! / n!
(2n + 2)! / 2n!
(n - 1)! / (n + 1)!
Solution to Question 2
Expand the factorials
(n + 2)! / n!
= [ 1 × 2 × ... × n × (n + 1) × (n + 2) ] / [ 1 × 2 × ...× n ]
and simplify to obtain
= (n + 1)(n + 2)
Expand the factorials
(2n + 2)! / 2n!
= [ 1 × 2 × 3...(2n) × (2n + 1) × (2n + 2) ] / [ 1 × 2 × 3...2n ]
Simplify
= (2n + 1) × (2n + 2)
Expand the factorials
(n - 1)! / (n + 1)!
= [ 1 × 2 × 3...(n - 1) ] / [ 1 × 2 × 3...(n - 1) × n × (n + 1) ]
Simplify
= 1 / [ n × (n + 1) ]
Exercises
a) Evaluate (10! / 5!) / 10
b) Simplify (n + 1)! / n!
Answers to above exercises
a) (10! / 5!) / 10 = 3024
b) (n + 1)! / n! = n + 1