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# pascals triangle

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There is a row of Pascal's triangle that has three successive positive entries,"a" "b"  and "c" such that "b" is double "c"  and "a" is triple "c" If this row begins "1,n,"  then find n.

Guest May 21, 2017
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There is a row of Pascal's triangle that has three successive positive entries,"a" "b"  and "c"

such that "b" is double "c"

and "a" is triple "c"

If this row begins "1,n,"  then find n.

Three successive positive entries:

$$\begin{array}{rcll} a&=&\binom{n}{k-1} \\ b&=&\binom{n}{k} \\ c&=&\binom{n}{k+1} \\ \end{array}$$

"b" is double "c" and "a" is triple "c"

$$\begin{array}{|rcll|} \hline a &= 3c &=& \binom{n}{k-1} \\ b &= 2c &=& \binom{n}{k} \\ c & &=& \binom{n}{k+1} \\ \hline \end{array}$$

$$\begin{array}{|lrcll|} \hline (1) & 2c &=& \binom{n}{k} \quad & | \quad c = \binom{n}{k+1} \\ & 2\cdot \binom{n}{k+1} &=& \binom{n}{k} \quad & | \quad \binom{n}{k+1}= ( \frac{n-k}{k+1} ) \binom{n}{k} \\ & 2\cdot ( \frac{n-k}{k+1} ) \binom{n}{k} &=& \binom{n}{k} \\ & 2\cdot ( \frac{n-k}{k+1} ) &=& 1 \\ & \mathbf{ n-k } & \mathbf{=} & \mathbf{ \frac{k+1}{2} } \\\\ (2) & 3c &=& \binom{n}{k-1} \quad & | \quad c = \binom{n}{k+1} \\ & 3\cdot \binom{n}{k+1} &=& \binom{n}{k-1} \quad & | \quad \binom{n}{k+1}= ( \frac{n-k}{k+1} ) \binom{n}{k} \\ & 3\cdot ( \frac{n-k}{k+1} ) \binom{n}{k} &=& \binom{n}{k-1} \quad & | \quad \binom{n}{k-1}= ( \frac{k}{n-k+1} ) \binom{n}{k} \\ & 3\cdot ( \frac{n-k}{k+1} ) \binom{n}{k} &=& ( \frac{k}{n-k+1} ) \binom{n}{k} \\ & 3\cdot ( \frac{n-k}{k+1} ) &=& \frac{k}{n-k+1} \\ & 3\cdot (n-k)\cdot (n-k+1) &=& k\cdot (k+1) \quad & | \quad \mathbf{ n-k } \mathbf{=} \mathbf{ \frac{k+1}{2} } \\ & 3\cdot ( \frac{k+1}{2} )\cdot ( \frac{k+1}{2} +1) &=& k\cdot (k+1) \\ & 3\cdot ( \frac{k+1}{2} )\cdot ( \frac{k+3}{2} ) &=& k\cdot (k+1) \\ & \frac34\cdot (k+1)\cdot (k+3) &=& k\cdot (k+1) \\ & \frac34 \cdot (k+3) &=& k \\ & \frac34 k + \frac94 &=& k \\ & k-\frac34 k &=& \frac94 \\ & \frac14 k &=& \frac94 \\ & \mathbf{ k } & \mathbf{=} & \mathbf{9} \\\\ & \mathbf{ n-k } & \mathbf{=} & \mathbf{ \frac{k+1}{2} } \\ & n-9 & = & \frac{9+1}{2} \\ & n-9 & = & 5 \\ & \mathbf{ n } & \mathbf{=} & \mathbf{ 14 } \\ \hline \end{array}$$

The three successive positive entries are:

$$a=3003 =\binom{14}{8} \\ b=2002 =\binom{14}{9} \\ c=1001 =\binom{14}{10} \\$$

and n is 14.

heureka  May 22, 2017
edited by heureka  May 22, 2017

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