Problems

Solution: \begin{align*} \binom{n}{r} + \binom{n}{r-1} &= \frac{n!}{r!(n-r)!} + \frac{n!}{(r-1)!(n-r+1)!} \\ &= \frac{n!}{(r-1)!(n-r)!} \left ( \frac{1}{r} + \frac{1}{n-r+1} \right) \\ &= \frac{n!}{(r-1)!(n-r)!} \frac{(n-r+1)+r}{r(n-r+1)} \\ &= \frac{n! (n+1)}{r! (n-r+1)!} \\ &= \frac{(n+1)!}{r!(n+1-r)!} \\ &= \binom{n+1}{r} \end{align*} Claim: \(\displaystyle (uv)^{(n)} = \sum_{r=0}^n \binom{n}{r} u^{(n-r)} v^{(r)}\) Proof: (By induction on \(n\)). Base case: \(n = 0\) is clear. Inductive step: Suppose it is true for \(n = k\), then consider \begin{align*} (uv)^{(k+1)} &= \left ( (uv)^{(k)} \right)' \\ &= \left ( \sum_{r=0}^k \binom{k}{r} u^{(k-r)} v^{(r)} \right)' \tag{by assumption} \\ &=\sum_{r=0}^k \binom{k}{r} \left ( u^{(k-r)} v^{(r)}\right)' \tag{linearity} \\ &=\sum_{r=0}^k \binom{k}{r} \left ( u^{(k-r+1)} v^{(r)} + u^{(k-r)}v^{(r+1)}\right) \\ &= \sum_{r=0}^{k} \binom{k}{r} u^{(k-r+1)} v^{(r)} + \sum_{r=0}^{k} \binom{k}{r} u^{(k-r)}v^{(r+1)} \\ &= \sum_{r=0}^{k} \binom{k}{r} u^{(k-r+1)} v^{(r)} + \sum_{r=1}^{k+1} \binom{k}{r-1} u^{(k-r+1)}v^{(r)} \\ &= u^{(k+1)}v + \sum_{r=1}^k \left (\binom{k}{r} + \binom{k}{r-1} \right)u^{(k-r+1)}v^{(r)} + u v^{(k+1)}\\ &= u^{(k+1)}v + \sum_{r=1}^k \binom{k+1}{r} u^{(k-r+1)}v^{(r)} + u v^{(k+1)}\\ &= \sum_{r=0}^{k+1} \binom{k+1}{r} u^{(k-r+1)}v^{(r)}\\ \end{align*} Therefore if our statement is true for \(n = k\) it is true for \(n = k+1\). Since it is true for \(n = 0\) by the principle of mathematical induction it is true for all integer \(n \geq 0\) Suppose \( y = \sin^{-1} x\), then \(y' = \frac{1}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}\), \(y'' = \frac{x}{(1-x^2)^{3/2}}\). Not that this means that \((1-x^2)y'' - xy' = 0\) (which is our formula when \(n = 0\)). Now apply Leibniz's formula to this. \begin{align*} 0 &= \left ( (1-x^2)y'' - xy' \right)^{(n)} \\ &= \left ( (1-x^2)y'' \right)^{(n)} -\left ( xy' \right)^{(n)} \\ &= \left ( (1-x^2)y^{(n+2)} - n\cdot 2x \cdot y^{(n+1)}-\binom{n}{2} \cdot 2 \cdot y^{(n)} \right )- \left (xy^{(n+1)}+ny^{(n)} \right) \\ &= (1-x^2)y^{(n+2)} - (2n+1)y^{(n+1)} - \left ( n(n-1)+n \right)y^{(n)} \\ &= (1-x^2)y^{(n+2)} - (2n+1)y^{(n+1)} - n^2y^{(n)} \\ \end{align*} as required

Solution: \begin{align*} && f(x) &= \sin 2x \cos x \\ &&&= \frac12 \l \sin 3x + \sin x \r \\ \Rightarrow && f^{(1988)}(x) &= \frac12 \l 3^{1988} (-1)^{994} \sin 3x+ (-1)^{994} \sin x \r \\ &&&= \boxed{\frac12 \left (3^{1998} \sin 3x + \sin x \right)} \\ \\ f^{(1988)}(x) = 0: && 0 &= 3^{1988} \sin 3x + \sin x \\ \Rightarrow && 0 &= 3^{1988} ( 3\sin x-4\sin^3 x) + \sin x \\ \Rightarrow && 0 &= \sin x \left (1+3^{1989}-4\cdot 3^{1988}\sin^{2} x \right) \end{align*} Since \(\sin x\) will first contribute a zero when \(x = \frac{\pi}{2}\) we focus on the second bracket, in particular, we need: \begin{align*} && \sin^2 x &= \frac{3}{4} \left ( 1 + \frac{1}{3^{1988}} \right) \\ \Rightarrow && \sin x &= \frac{\sqrt{3}}2 \left (1 + \frac{1}{2 \cdot 3^{1988}} + \cdots \right ) \end{align*} Since near \(\frac{\pi}{3}\), \begin{align*} \sin (\frac{\pi}{3} + \epsilon) &= \sin \frac{\pi}{3} \cos \epsilon + \cos \frac{\pi}{3} \sin \epsilon \\ &\approx \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} (1-\epsilon^2 + \cdots ) + \frac{1}{2}(\epsilon + \cdots) \\ &= \frac{\sqrt{3}}2 + \frac12 \epsilon + \cdots \end{align*} Therefore by comparison we can see that \(x = \frac{\pi}{3} + \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} 3^{-1988}\) will be a very good approximation for the root.