For Coefficient (1)

What is the coefficient of x 18 x^{18} from P ( x ) = ( 1 + x ) 20 + x ( 1 + x ) 19 + x 2 ( 1 + x ) 18 + + x 18 ( 1 + x ) 2 P(x) = (1+x)^{20} + x(1+x)^{19} + x^2(1+x)^{18} +\cdots+ x^{18}(1+x)^2 ?


The answer is 1330.

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2 solutions

Rishabh Jain
May 17, 2016

Relevant wiki: Hockey Stick Identity

The coefficient is given by: ( 20 18 ) + ( 19 17 ) + ( 18 16 ) + + ( 2 0 ) \dbinom{20}{18}+\dbinom{19}{17}+\dbinom{18}{16}+\cdots+\dbinom{2}0 = n = 2 20 ( 20 n 2 ) = n = 2 20 ( 20 2 ) \large =\displaystyle\sum_{n=2}^{20}\dbinom{20}{n-2}=\displaystyle\sum_{n=2}^{20}\dbinom{20}{2}

Using hockey stick identity , this is:- ( 21 3 ) = 1330 \large\dbinom{21}{3}=\color{#D61F06}{\boxed{1330}}

Sabhrant Sachan
May 17, 2016

This Solution is similar to @Rishabh Cool. I am just simplifying the above expression , which makes this problem Super Easy.

After Simplification i will use Binomial Thm to find the coefficient of x 18 x^{18} . We have,

P ( x ) = ( 1 + x ) 20 + x ( 1 + x ) 19 + + x 17 ( 1 + x ) 3 + x 18 ( 1 + x ) 2 x 1 + x × P ( x ) = x ( 1 + x ) 19 x 17 ( 1 + x ) 3 x 18 ( 1 + x ) 2 x 19 ( 1 + x ) P(x)=(1+x)^{20}+x(1+x)^{19}+\cdots+x^{17}(1+x)^3+x^{18}(1+x)^2 \\ -\dfrac{x}{1+x}\times P(x)=-x(1+x)^{19}-\cdots-x^{17}(1+x)^3-x^{18}(1+x)^2-x^{19}(1+x)

Add the Two Equations , we will get

( 1 x 1 + x ) P ( x ) = ( 1 + x ) 20 x 19 ( 1 + x ) P ( x ) = ( 1 + x ) 21 x 19 ( 1 + x ) 2 Coefficient of x 18 in the Above expression is ( 21 18 ) Our Answer : 1330 (1-\dfrac{x}{1+x})P(x)=(1+x)^{20}-x^{19}(1+x) \\ P(x)=(1+x)^{21}-x^{19}(1+x)^2 \\ \text{Coefficient of }x^{18} \text{ in the Above expression is } \dbinom{21}{18}\\ \text{Our Answer : } \boxed{1330}

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