The way I tried to do this was by labelling the x1, x2... as containers, and the number of balls in each container represented the degree of each term.
For example, if you had $ (x+y+z)^3 $, then 3 balls in the x basket would mean $ x^3 $, and two balls in the y basket while one ball in the z basket would mean $ yz^2 $
--
I used bars and stars. For example, $ (x + y)^3 $. This is 3 combinations and 2 elements, so it is: ***| + **|* + *|** + |***. Now, just translate this to n combinations and m elements.
--Djallen 19:22, 24 September 2008 (UTC)
