The concept:
In the expansion of $(1+x)^n$,the coefficients of terms equidistant from the beginning and the end are equal.
The coefficient of the $(r+1)^{th}$ term from the beginning is $^nC_r$. The $(r+1)^{th}$ term from the end has $n+1-(r+1)$, or $n-r$ terms before it; therefore counting from the beginning it is the $(n-r+1)^{th}$ term, and its coefficient is $^nC_{n-r}$, which is equal to $^nC_r$.
My question:
$(x+y)^6=x^6+6x^5y+15x^4y^2+20x^3y^3+15x^2y^4+6xy^5+y^6$
Using the concept, let's take $r=2$. So the $(2+1)^{th}$, or third term, has a coefficient $^6C_2$ counting from the beginning. The third term has $6+1-(2+1)=4$ terms before it counting from the end. Up to this point I fully understand.
Now I don't understand where this $(n-r+1)^{th}$ came from. Plugging in values checks out, because in my example $(6-2+1)=5$, and indeed the fifth term has the same coefficient as the third term. And obviously $^nC_{n-r}=^nC_r$.But again why $(n-r+1)$? How is this derived?
Notice that there are $n + 1$ terms in the expansion of $(x + y)^n$. If we list them in order, then we get:
Notice that the $r+1$-th term is of the form $x^{n-r} y^r$. And by the symmetry of the expansion, the $r+1$-th term from the end will then be the term that's $x^r y^{n-r}$. But then since $x^r y^{n-r} = x^{n-(n-r)} y^{(n-r)}$, that term must be the $(n-r)+1$-th term from the top.