AQA Core 2 Sequences and series

1 of 2 15/01/13 MEI
Section 4: The binomial expansion

Solutions to Exercise

1. Pascals triangle: 1
1 1
1 2 1
1 3 3 1
1 4 6 4 1
1 5 10 10 5 1
1 6 15 20 15 6 1

(i)
6 6 5 4 3 2
( 1) 6 15 20 15 6 1 x x x x x x x + = + + + + + +

(ii)
5 5 4 1 3 2 2 3 4 5
5 4 3 2
5 4 3 2
( 2) 5 ( 2) 10 ( 2) 10 ( 2) 5 ( 2) ( 2)
5 2 10 4 10 8 5 16 32
10 40 80 80 32
x x x x x x
x x x x x
x x x x x
= + + + + +
= + + + +
= + +


(iii)
4 4 3 2
4 3 2
4 3 2
(2 1) (2 ) 4(2 ) 6(2 ) 4(2 ) 1
16 4 8 6 4 8 1
16 32 24 8 1
x x x x x
x x x x
x x x x
+ = + + + +
= + + + +
= + + + +


(iv)
3 3 2 2 3
2 3
2 3
(2 3 ) 2 3(2) ( 3 ) 3(2)( 3 ) ( 3 )
8 3 4 3 3 2 9 27
8 33 54 27
x x x x
x x x
x x x
= + + +
= + +
= +



2. (i)
8
8 7 6
3
| |
=
|
\ .
1 2 3
8 7 56 = =

(ii)
9 9
9 8
5 4
| | | |
= =
| |
\ . \ .
2
7 6
1 2 3 4
9 2 7 126 = =

(iii)
12
12
4
| |
=
|
\ .
11 10
5
9
1 2

3 4
11 9 5 495 = =

(iv)
20 20
20
18 2
| | | |
= =
| |
\ . \ .
10
19
1 2

10 19 190 = =

3. (i) Term in x
4

| |
= = =
|

\ .
4 4 4
15
15 14 13 12
(2 ) 16 21840
4
1 2 3 4
x x x
Coefficient of x
4
is 21840

AQA C2 Series 4 Exercise solutions


2 of 2 15/01/13 MEI
(ii) Term in x
23

2 23 25 2 23
2
23 23
25
(3) ( ) (3) ( )
23
25 24
9 2700
1 2
x C x
x x
| |
= =
|
\ .

= =

Coefficient of x
23
is -2700.

(iii) Term in x
4
6
6 2
4
10
10 9 8 7 1
210
4
1 2 3 4
x
x x
x x
| |
| |
= = =
| |
\ .
\ .

Coefficient of x
2
is 210.


4.
4 2
(1 ) 1 4 6 ... x x x + = + + +
7 2
(1 ) 1 7 21 ... x x x = +
( )( )
4 7 2 2
2 2
2 2 2
2
(1 ) (1 ) 1 4 6 ... 1 7 21 ...
(1 7 21 ) 4 (1 7 ) 6 ...
1 7 21 4 28 6 ...
1 3 ...
x x x x x x
x x x x x
x x x x x
x x
+ = + + + + +
= + + + +
= + + + +
= +



5. (i)
15 2 2
15 14
(1 ) 1 15 ... 1 15 105 ...
1 2
x x x x x

= + + = + +

(ii) Putting x = 0.01:
15 2
15
(1 0.01) 1 15 0.01 105 0.01 ...
0.99 1 0.15 0.0105 ... 0.8605
= + +
= + + =


(iii) Percentage error
15
15
0.8605 0.99
100 0.051%
0.99

= =

6. (i)
9 2 3
9 2 3
21
2 2
9 8 9 8 7
1 1 9 ...
2 2 1 2 2 1 2 3 2
1 9 ...
x x x x
x x x

| | | | | | | |
+ = + + + +
| | | |
\ . \ . \ . \ .
= + + + +


(ii) Putting x = 0.1:
9
9 2 3
21
2 2
9
0.1
1 1 0.1 9 0.1 0.1 ...
2
1.05 1 0.45 0.09 0.0105 ... 1.5505
| |
+ = + + + +
|
\ .
= + + + + =


(iii) Percentage error
9
9
1.5505 1.05
100 0.053%
1.05

= =