Problem:
Let be the unique polynomial of degree at most satisfying for . Compute .
, 2020
Solutions — 2
Solution 1
Solution:
Since , we see that has no constant term. Let be a polynomial with degree at most . From the given values of , we see that and for .
Now, consider the polynomial , which has degree at most . Then has roots , so
for some real number . Using yields , so
It follows that .
Solution 2
Solution:
By Lagrange interpolation,
Therefore, by applying Pascal's identity multiple times, we get that
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