binomial coefficient
nounUK /baɪˈnəʊmiəl ˌkəʊɪˈfɪʃənt/
US /baɪˈnoʊmiəl ˌkoʊɪˈfɪʃənt/
A number that tells how many ways you can pick a small group from a bigger group.
The binomial coefficient tells us there are ten ways to choose two friends from five.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A coefficient in the expansion of a binomial raised to a power.
The binomial coefficients appear as the numbers in each row of Pascal's triangle.
3. The number of k-element subsets of an n-element set, written as C(n, k).
C(5, 2) equals 10, a binomial coefficient.
4. An entry in Pascal's triangle formed by adding the two entries above it.
Each binomial coefficient in Pascal's triangle is the sum of the two above it.