Analyzing the Setup
Imagine you are standing before a massive, intimidating wall of numbers. You see 12(120)+22(220)+⋯+202(2020).
At first glance, it looks like a chaotic mess of squares and combinations. But in the world of JEE Advanced, chaos is just order waiting to be discovered.
Today, we are going to peel back the layers of this series using the most elegant tool in our mathematical toolkit: Calculus.
The Foundation
The Binomial Identity
Every great journey starts with a simple truth. We know the binomial expansion:
This is our bedrock. It is a beautiful, symmetric identity.
But notice the difference between this identity and our problem. Our problem has an r2 multiplier, while the identity has a plain xr.
How do we transform xr into r2xr? The answer lies in the power rule of differentiation. When we differentiate xr, we get rxr−1. That single r is exactly what we need.
The Calculus Operator
The First Step
Let us take the derivative of both sides with respect to x:
dxd(1+x)n=dxdr=0∑n(rn)xr
On the left, we get n(1+x)n−1. On the right, the derivative of xr is rxr−1. So, we have:
n(1+x)n−1=r=1∑nr(rn)xr−1
We have successfully brought down one r! But wait—we need r2. If we differentiate again right now, we will get r(r−1)xr−2, which introduces an unwanted r term. We need to 'reset' the power of x back to xr before the second differentiation.
The Reset
Multiplying by x
This is the moment where most students stumble, but you will not. To get back to xr, we simply multiply both sides of our equation by x:
x⋅n(1+x)n−1=x⋅r=1∑nr(rn)xr−1
This simplifies beautifully to:
nx(1+x)n−1=r=1∑nr(rn)xr
Now, look at the right side. The power of x is r. We are perfectly set up for the second differentiation.
The Second Derivative
Generating r2
Now, we differentiate with respect to x one more time. On the left side, we must use the product rule because we have x multiplied by (1+x)n−1.
The derivative of nx(1+x)n−1 is:
n(1+x)n−1+nx(n−1)(1+x)n−2
On the right side, the derivative of xr is rxr−1, which gives us:
We have done it! We have isolated the r2 term.
The Final Evaluation
Setting x=1
The variable x was our scaffolding; now that the building is complete, we can take it down. By setting x=1, the right side becomes our original series sum, S.
On the left side, we substitute x=1:
n(1+1)n−1+n(1)(n−1)(1+1)n−2=S
To simplify this, factor out n⋅2n−2:
S=n⋅2n−2[2+(n−1)]=n(n+1)2n−2
This is the general formula for ∑r2(rn). It is a powerful result that you should keep in your mental library.
Conclusion
The Final Calculation
For our specific problem, n=20. Plugging this into our formula:
S=20(20+1)220−2=20(21)218=420⋅218
Comparing this to A(2β), we find A=420 and β=18.
You have navigated the calculus, mastered the operator method, and arrived at the solution. This is the essence of JEE Advanced: not just calculating, but understanding the flow of the math. Keep this logic close, and no series will ever intimidate you again.