Newton's Binomial Theorem 



follows swiftly upon page, telling me nothing. 

 A chapter catches my attention in the middle 

 of the volume; it is headed, Newton's Bi- 

 nomial Theorem. 



The title allures me. What can a binomial 

 theorem be, especially one whose author is 

 Newton, the great English mathematician 

 who weighed the worlds? What has the 

 mechanism of the sky to do with this? Let 

 us read and seek for enlightenment. With 

 my elbows on the table and my thumbs be- 

 hind my ears, I concentrate all my attention. 



I am seized with astonishment, for I under- 

 stand ! There are a certain number of letters, 

 general symbols which are grouped in all 

 manner of ways, taking their places here, 

 there and elsewhere by turns; there are, as 

 the text tells me, arrangements, permutations 

 and combinations. Pen in hand, I arrange, 

 permute and combine. It is a very diverting 

 exercise, upon my word, a game in which the 

 test of the written result confirms the anticipa- 

 tions of logic and supplements the short- 

 comings of one's thinking-apparatus. 



'It will be plain sailing,' said I to myself, 

 'if algebra is no more difficult than this.' 



I was to recover from the illusion later, 

 when the binomial theorem, that light, crisp 



283 



