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1996 Paper 1 Q2
D: 1484.0 B: 1500.0

  1. Show that \[ \int_{0}^{1}\left(1+(\alpha-1)x\right)^{n}\,\mathrm{d}x=\frac{\alpha^{n+1}-1}{(n+1)(\alpha-1)} \] when \(\alpha\neq1\) and \(n\) is a positive integer.
  2. Show that if \(0\leqslant k\leqslant n\) then the coefficient of \(\alpha^{k}\) in the polynomial \[ \int_{0}^{1}\left(\alpha x+(1-x)\right)^{n}\,\mathrm{d}x \] is \[ \binom{n}{k}\int_{0}^{1}x^{k}(1-x)^{n-k}\,\mathrm{d}x\,. \]
  3. Hence, or otherwise, show that \[ \int_{0}^{1}x^{k}(1-x)^{n-k}\,\mathrm{d}x=\frac{k!(n-k)!}{(n+1)!}\,. \]


Solution:

  1. \begin{align*} u = 1+(\alpha-1)x: && \int_0^1 (1 + (\alpha - 1)x)^n \d x &= \int_{u=1}^{u=\alpha} u^n \frac{1}{\alpha - 1} \d u \\ &&&= \left [\frac{u^{n+1}}{(n+1)(\alpha-1)} \right]_1^\alpha \\ &&&= \frac{\alpha^{n+1}-1}{(n+1)(\alpha-1)} \end{align*}
  2. \begin{align*} && \int_0^1 (\alpha x + (1-x))^n \d x &= \int_0^1 \sum_{k=0}^n \binom{n}{k} \alpha^k x^k (1-x)^{n-k} \d x \\ &&&= \sum_{k=0}^n \alpha^k \int_0^1 \binom{n}{k} x^k (1-x)^{n-k} \d x \end{align*} Therefore the coefficient of \(\alpha^k\) is \(\displaystyle \int_0^1 \binom{n}{k} x^k (1-x)^{n-k} \d x\)
  3. The coefficient of \(\alpha^{k}\) in \(\displaystyle \frac{\alpha^{n+1}-1}{(n+1)(\alpha-1)}\) is \(\displaystyle \frac1{n+1}\). Therefore \begin{align*} && \frac1{n+1} &= \binom{n}{k} \int_0^1 x^k(1-x)^{n-k} \d x \\ \Rightarrow && \int_0^1 x^k (1-x)^{n-k} \d x &= \frac{k!(n-k)!}{(n+1)n!} \\ &&&= \frac{k!(n-k)!}{(n+1)!} \end{align*}