Analyzing the Setup
The problem asks us to evaluate the expression:
^{50}C_4 + \sum_{r=1}^{6} ^{56-r}C_3
At first glance, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. You might be tempted to grind through the factorials, but in the world of JEE Advanced, the path to victory is pattern recognition.
Unveiling the Hidden Sequence
We must peel back the layers of the summation. The expression 56−rC3 represents a sequence of terms.
When we expand the summation for
r=1 to
r=6, we obtain:
55C3+54C3+53C3+52C3+51C3+50C3
The full expression now appears as:
50C4+(55C3+54C3+53C3+52C3+51C3+50C3)
The Power of Pascal's Identity
The core of our strategy is
Pascal's Identity, which states:
nCr+nCr−1=n+1Cr
This identity acts as a bridge, allowing us to combine two terms into a single, unified result. We begin by grouping the last term of the summation with the initial term:
50C4+50C3=51C4
The Domino Effect
Now, we observe a cascading effect. We take our new term
51C4 and combine it with the next term in the sequence,
51C3:
51C4+51C3=52C4
Continuing this process, the dominoes fall in sequence:
52C4+52C3=53C4
53C4+53C3=54C4
54C4+54C3=55C4
55C4+55C3=56C4
Final Calculation
By applying the identity repeatedly, the entire expression simplifies into one elegant term. The final result is:
56C4
Calculating the numerical value:
4×3×2×156×55×54×53=369,600
The essence of JEE mathematics is seeing this hidden structure. When you approach these problems, look for the identity that wants to be used and trust in the process.