Analyzing the Setup
Welcome, fellow traveler on the path to JEE Advanced mastery. Today, we are going to dissect a problem that, at first glance, might seem like a tedious exercise in arithmetic.
We are looking at the series S=C0+5⋅C1+9⋅C2+⋯+101⋅C25. Our goal is to find the constant k such that S=225⋅k.
The Hidden Pattern
Let us pause and observe the structure of this series. We have a sum where each term is a product of a number and a binomial coefficient.
The numbers multiplying these coefficients are 1,5,9,…,101. These form an Arithmetic Progression (A.P.) with a first term a=1 and a common difference d=4.
The general term of this A.P. is 4r+1. Thus, our series can be written as:
This structure is a classic signature of a problem that can be solved using the symmetry of binomial coefficients.
The Mirror Technique
In the world of competitive mathematics, when you see a series involving binomial coefficients, always look for symmetry. The most powerful tool in our arsenal is the property nCr=nCn−r.
This property tells us that the coefficients are symmetric from both ends. For n=25, this means C0=C25, C1=C24, and so on.
Now, let us apply the 'reversal method'. We write the series S in reverse order:
S=101⋅C25+97⋅C24+93⋅C23+⋯+1⋅C0
We haven't changed the value of the sum; we have simply changed the order of addition. Now, let us apply our symmetry property to this reversed series. Replacing C25 with C0, C24 with C1, and so on, the reversed series transforms into:
S=101⋅C0+97⋅C1+93⋅C2+⋯+1⋅C25
The Magic Addition
This is where the magic happens. Let us add our original series and this newly transformed reversed series vertically, term by term. On the left side, S+S gives us 2S.
On the right side, for each term Cr, we add the coefficients:
2S=(1+101)C0+(5+97)C1+(9+93)C2+⋯+(101+1)C25
Look at the sum of the coefficients: 1+101=102, 5+97=102, 9+93=102. The sum is constant! Every single term now has a common factor of 102.
We can factor it out:
2S=102⋅(C0+C1+C2+⋯+C25)
Final Calculation
We are now left with the sum of all binomial coefficients from C0 to C25. Recall the fundamental identity from the binomial theorem:
For n=25, this sum is exactly 225. Substituting this back into our equation, we get:
To find S, we simply divide both sides by 2:
Comparing this with the given expression S=k⋅225, it is crystal clear that k=51.