Multinomial[n1,n2,…]
gives the multinomial coefficient
.
Multinomial
Multinomial[n1,n2,…]
gives the multinomial coefficient
.
Details
- Integer mathematical function, suitable for both symbolic and numerical manipulation.
- The multinomial coefficient Multinomial[n1,n2,…], denoted
, gives the number of ways of partitioning
distinct objects into
sets, each of size
(with
). - Multinomial automatically threads over lists.
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (5)
Multinomial[1, 2, 1]The 1, 2, 1 multinomial coefficient appears as the coefficient of x y^2 z:
Expand[(x + y + z) ^ 4]Coefficient[%, x y ^ 2 z]Plot over a subset of the reals:
Plot[Multinomial[x, 1 / 2, 3], {x, -2, 4}]Plot over a subset of the complexes:
ComplexPlot3D[Multinomial[z, 1 / 2], {z, -2 - 2I, 2 + 2I}, PlotLegends -> Automatic]Series expansion at the origin:
Series[Multinomial[x, 3, 1 / 2], {x, 0, 2}]//FullSimplifySeries expansion at Infinity:
Series[Multinomial[x, 2, 1 / 2], {x, ∞, 2}]//FullSimplifyScope (27)
Numerical Evaluation (6)
Multinomial[2, .2, 5]N[Multinomial[1 / 3, 1 / 7, 1 / 5, 1 / 6]]N[Multinomial[1 / 3, 1 / 11, 1 / 5, 1 / 6], 50]The precision of the output tracks the precision of the input:
Multinomial[2, .22222222222222222222222, 5]Multinomial[1 + I, .2, 4]Evaluate efficiently at high precision:
Multinomial[1, 1 / 7, 5`100]//TimingMultinomial[2, 1 / 7, 1 / 6`1000];//TimingCompute average-case statistical intervals using Around:
Multinomial[Around[2, 0.01], 2]Compute the elementwise values of an array:
Multinomial[ {{5π / 6, 0}, {3π / 2, -π / 2}}, 2]Or compute the matrix Multinomial function using MatrixFunction:
MatrixFunction[Multinomial[#, 2]&, {{5π / 6, 0}, {3π / 2, -π / 2}}]Specific Values (4)
Values of Multinomial at fixed points:
Table[Multinomial[n, 2, 3], {n, 1, 5}]Multinomial for symbolic n:
Multinomial[n, 1, 2]Multinomial[1, 2, 3, n]Multinomial[0, 0, 1]Multinomial[0, 0, 0]Find a value of n for which Multinomial[n,1,1]=15:
nval = n /. FindRoot[Multinomial[ n , 1, 1] == 15, {n, 5}]Plot[Multinomial[n, 1, 1], {n, 0, 5}, Epilog -> Style[Point[{nval, Multinomial[nval, 1, 1]}], PointSize[Large], Red]]Visualization (2)
Plot the Multinomial as a function of its parameter:
Plot[{Multinomial[n, 1, 1], Multinomial[n, 1, 2], Multinomial[n, 1, 3], Multinomial[n, 1, 4]}, {n, -2, 4}]ComplexContourPlot[Re[Multinomial[5, z, 1]], {z, -1 - 2I, 1 + 2I}, Contours -> 24]ComplexContourPlot[Im[Multinomial[5, z, 1]], {z, -1 - 2I, 1 + 2I}, Contours -> 24]Function Properties (11)
The real domain of
as a function of its last parameter
:
FunctionDomain[Multinomial[2, 2, n], n]FunctionDomain[Multinomial[2, 2, n], n, Complexes]Approximate function range of
:
FunctionRange[Multinomial[x, 1, 2, 2], x, y]FullSimplify[Multinomial[Conjugate[z], 2, 2] == Conjugate[Multinomial[z, 2, 2]]]FunctionAnalytic[Multinomial[x, 2, 3], x]
is neither non-decreasing nor non-increasing:
FunctionMonotonicity[Multinomial[x, 2, 3], x]FunctionInjective[Multinomial[x, 2, 3], x]Plot[{Multinomial[x, 2, 3], .2}, {x, -5, 1}]FunctionSurjective[Multinomial[x, 2, 3], x]Plot[{Multinomial[x, 2, 3], 50}, {x, -1, 2}]
is neither non-negative nor non-positive:
FunctionSign[Multinomial[x, 1, 2, 2], x]
does not have either singularity or discontinuity:
FunctionSingularities[Multinomial[x, 1, 2, 2], x]FunctionDiscontinuities[Multinomial[x, 1, 2, 2], x]
is neither convex nor concave:
FunctionConvexity[Multinomial[x, 1, 2, 2], x]TraditionalForm formatting:
Multinomial[n, m, p]//TraditionalFormDifferentiation (2)
The first derivative with respect to n3:
D[Multinomial[Subscript[n, 1], Subscript[n, 2], Subscript[n, 3]], Subscript[n, 3]]Higher derivatives with respect to n3:
Table[D[Multinomial[Subscript[n, 1], Subscript[n, 2], Subscript[n, 3]], {Subscript[n, 3], k}], {k, 1, 3}]//FullSimplifyPlot the higher derivatives with respect to n3 when n1=n2=3:
Plot[Evaluate[% /. {Subscript[n, 1] -> 3, Subscript[n, 2] -> 3}], {Subscript[n, 3], -7, 7}, PlotLegends -> {"First Derivative", "Second Derivative", "Third Derivative"}]Series Expansions (2)
Find the Taylor expansion using Series:
Series[Multinomial[x, y, z], {x, 0, 3}]//Normal//FullSimplifyPlots of the first three approximations around
:
terms = Normal@Table[Series[Multinomial[x, 2, 1], {x, 0, m}], {m, 1, 3}];
Plot[{terms}, {x, -10, 10}]The Taylor expansion at a generic point:
Series[Multinomial[x, y, z], {x, x0, 2}]// FullSimplifyGeneralizations & Extensions (1)
Multinomial threads elementwise over lists:
Multinomial[{2, 3, 5, 7, 11}, 3, 5]Applications (4)
Illustrate the multinomial theorem:
sum = Sum[KroneckerDelta[4 - (n1 + n2 + n3)]Multinomial[n1, n2, n3]x ^ n1 y ^ n2 z ^ n3 , {n1, 0, 4}, {n2, 0, 4}, {n3, 0, 4}]Factor[sum]Plot isosurfaces of the number of ways to put
elements in three boxes:
ContourPlot3D[Log[Multinomial[n1, n2, n3]] , {n1, 1, 6}, {n2, 1, 6}, {n3, 1, 6}]Multinomial probability distribution:
p[n_, ns_List, θs_List] := Piecewise[{{(Multinomial@@ns)Apply[Times, θs ^ ns], Total[ns] == n && Apply[And, Thread[ns ≥ 0]]}}]ListPlot3D[ Flatten[Table[ {n1, n2, p[20, {n1, n2, 20 - n1 - n2}, {0.4, 0.3, 0.3}]}, {n1, 0, 20}, {n2, 0, 20}], 1], PlotRange -> All]Volume of a hyper-super-ellipsoid
is
:
v1 = 2 ^ 4 / Multinomial[1 / 4, 1 / 2, 1 / 2, 1 / 2]Compare with direct integration:
v2 = Subsuperscript[∫, -∞, ∞]Subsuperscript[∫, -∞, ∞]Subsuperscript[∫, -∞, ∞]Subsuperscript[∫, -∞, ∞]Boole[x^4 + y^2 + z^2 + w^2 < 1]ⅆwⅆzⅆyⅆxFullSimplify[v1 == v2]Properties & Relations (4)
With two arguments, Multinomial gives binomial coefficients:
Binomial[10, 3]Multinomial[7, 3]Use FullSimplify to simplify expressions involving multinomial coefficients:
FullSimplify[Multinomial[n1, n2, n3] / Multinomial[n2 - 1, n1 + 1, n3]]Use FunctionExpand to expand into Gamma functions:
FunctionExpand[Multinomial[n1, n2, n3, n4]]Multinomial is Orderless:
Multinomial[b, a, c, d]Possible Issues (3)
Large arguments can give results too large to be computed explicitly:
Multinomial[10. ^ 16, 10. ^ 16, 10. ^ 16]Machine-number inputs can give high‐precision results:
Multinomial[10. ^ 6, 10. ^ 5, 10. ^ 4]MachineNumberQ[%]As a multivariate function, Multinomial is not continuous in all variables at negative integers:
Multinomial[-5, 3]Table[Multinomial[-5. + s1 10^-12, 3. + s2 10^-12], {s1, {-1, -1 / 2, 1 / 2, 1}}, {s2, {-1, -1 / 2, 1 / 2, 1}}]MatrixPlot[%, ImageSize -> Small]Neat Examples (3)
m = Table[Mod[Multinomial[i, j, k], 2], {i, 0, 30}, {j, 0, 30}, {k, 0, 30}];
Graphics3D[Cuboid /@ Position[m, 1]]m = Table[Mod[Multinomial[30 - i, 30 - j, 30 - k], 2], {i, 0, 30}, {j, 0, 30}, {k, 0, 30}];
Graphics3D[Cuboid /@ Position[m, 1]]m = Table[Mod[Multinomial[i, j, k], 3], {i, 0, 30}, {j, 0, 30}, {k, 0, 30}];
Graphics3D[Cuboid /@ Position[m, 1]]Nested multinomials over the complex plane:
DensityPlot[Arg[Nest[Multinomial[#, #]&, x + I y, 3]], {x, 1 / 2, 5 / 2}, {y, -3 / 2, 3 / 2}, WorkingPrecision -> 20, PlotPoints -> 80]Plot Multinomial for complex arguments:
DensityPlot[Arg[Multinomial[4.1 Exp[I ϕ1], 2.2 Exp[I ϕ2]]], {ϕ1, -Pi, Pi}, {ϕ2, -Pi, Pi}]Tech Notes
Related Guides
Related Links
History
Introduced in 1988 (1.0)
Text
Wolfram Research (1988), Multinomial, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Multinomial.html.
CMS
Wolfram Language. 1988. "Multinomial." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Multinomial.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (1988). Multinomial. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Multinomial.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_multinomial, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Multinomial}", year="1988", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Multinomial.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2026_multinomial, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Multinomial}, year={1988}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Multinomial.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}