Edexcel F1 2021 October — Question 5 8 marks

Exam BoardEdexcel
ModuleF1 (Further Pure Mathematics 1)
Year2021
SessionOctober
Marks8
PaperDownload PDF ↗
TopicSequences and series, recurrence and convergence
TypeSum from n+1 to 2n or similar range
DifficultyStandard +0.8 This is a Further Maths question requiring expansion of a cubic expression, manipulation of standard summation formulae, and then a non-trivial application involving the difference of two sums with shifted indices. Part (b) requires careful algebraic manipulation to reach the specified factored form. While systematic, it demands more sophistication than typical A-level questions and involves extended algebraic work across multiple steps.
Spec4.06a Summation formulae: sum of r, r^2, r^34.06b Method of differences: telescoping series

5. (a) Use the standard results for \(\sum _ { r = 1 } ^ { n } r ^ { 3 } , \sum _ { r = 1 } ^ { n } r ^ { 2 }\) and \(\sum _ { r = 1 } ^ { n } r\) to show that for all positive integers \(n\), $$\sum _ { r = 1 } ^ { n } r ( r - 1 ) ( r - 3 ) = \frac { 1 } { 12 } n ( n + 1 ) ( n - 1 ) ( 3 n - 10 )$$ (b) Hence show that $$\sum _ { r = n + 1 } ^ { 2 n + 1 } r ( r - 1 ) ( r - 3 ) = \frac { 1 } { 12 } n ( n + 1 ) \left( a n ^ { 2 } + b n + c \right)$$ where \(a\), \(b\) and \(c\) are integers to be determined.

5. (a) Use the standard results for $\sum _ { r = 1 } ^ { n } r ^ { 3 } , \sum _ { r = 1 } ^ { n } r ^ { 2 }$ and $\sum _ { r = 1 } ^ { n } r$ to show that for all positive integers $n$,

$$\sum _ { r = 1 } ^ { n } r ( r - 1 ) ( r - 3 ) = \frac { 1 } { 12 } n ( n + 1 ) ( n - 1 ) ( 3 n - 10 )$$

(b) Hence show that

$$\sum _ { r = n + 1 } ^ { 2 n + 1 } r ( r - 1 ) ( r - 3 ) = \frac { 1 } { 12 } n ( n + 1 ) \left( a n ^ { 2 } + b n + c \right)$$

where $a$, $b$ and $c$ are integers to be determined.\\

\hfill \mbox{\textit{Edexcel F1 2021 Q5 [8]}}