8 Partial fractions

Ext8

Extension 1 Express these in partial fractions.

Exercise 8 a
7x ‡ 4
b
4
c
3 ‡ 2x
(x 2) (x ‡ 2)
2 (x ‡ 1) (2x 2 ‡ x ‡ 3) (2 x) (3 ‡ x 2 )
x2 ‡ 3 3x 2 14x ‡ 5 (x ‡ 12) (x 1)
d e f
x(x 2 ‡ 1) (1 x) (x 2 4x ‡ 1) 3(x 2) (x 2 ‡ 2x 1)
2 Find partial fractions for each of these.
6 3x x3 x3
a b c d
x ‡1
3 x ‡1
3 x3 1 x3 ‡ 1
2
x 12 16 2(7x ‡ 4)
e f g h
x3 1 x3 ‡8 (x 2 4) (x ‡ 2) x3 8
3 Can values of A, B, C, D be found that make these pairs of expressions
identical?
a 2x 2 22x ‡ 53 and A(x 5) (x 3) ‡ B(x 3) (x ‡ 2) ‡ C(x ‡ 2) (x 5)
2
b x ‡ 7 and A(x 2) ‡ B(x ‡ 1)
c 3x ‡ 7x ‡ 11 and (Ax ‡ B) (x ‡ 2) ‡ C(x 2 ‡ 5)
2

d x ‡ 1 and A(x 2) ‡ B(x 2 ‡ 1)

e x 3 ‡ 2x 2 4x 2 and (Ax ‡ B) (x 2) (x ‡ 1) ‡ C(x ‡ 1) ‡ D(x 2)
4 Rewrite this expression as a constant plus partial fractions.
x 3 ‡ 2x ‡ 3
(x 1) (x ‡ 2) (x 3)

5 Rewrite in partial fractions

8
(x 2 1) (x ‡ 1)2

6 Express in partial fractions

3x 2 ‡ 2x 9
(x 2 1)2
7 Express as a sum of partial fractions
6 ‡ 9x ‡ 11x 2 x 3
x 4 3x 2 4

8 Express as a sum of partial fractions

x 3 ‡ 2x 2 ‡ 18x ‡ 34
x 4 ‡ 3x 3 ‡ 3x 2 ‡ 16x ‡ 21

9 a Use the substitution method to find the constants A, B and C if

lx 2 ‡ mx ‡ n A B C
 ‡ ‡
(x a) (x b) (x c) x a x b x c
b Explain why the `cover-up method' works when a, b and c are distinct.

A2 Core for Edexcel # Pearson Education Ltd. 2005 1

 8 Partial fractions

2
10 Express in partial fractions, and deduce that
n(n ‡ 2)
2 2 2 2 3 2n ‡ 3
‡ ‡ ‡


‡ ˆ
13 24 35 n(n ‡ 2) 2 (n ‡ 1) (n ‡ 2)

11 Express
n‡3
(n 1)n(n ‡ 1)
in partial fractions, and deduce that
5 6 7 n‡3 3 n‡2
‡ ‡ ‡


‡ ˆ
123 234 345 (n 1)n(n ‡ 1) 2 n(n ‡ 1)

12 For the series given in Question 11 write down

a the nth term
b the sum of the first n terms
c the limit of this sum as n ! 1.
13 Prove that the series
2 2 2
‡ ‡ ‡



12 23 34
is convergent, and find its sum to infinity.
14 Find the sum of the first n terms of each of these series.
1 1 1 1 1 1
a ‡ ‡ ‡


b ‡ ‡ ‡



14 25 36 24 46 68
1 1 1 1 1 1
c ‡ ‡ ‡


d ‡ ‡ ‡



3  6 6  9 9  12 135 246 357

15 Find the sum of the first n terms of each of these series, remembering that
2n 1, 2n ‡ 1, etc. are odd for all integral values of n.
2 2 2 1 1 1
a ‡ ‡ ‡


b ‡ ‡ ‡



13 35 57 135 357 579
2 3 4
c ‡ ‡ ‡



135 357 579

2 A2 Core for Edexcel # Pearson Education Ltd. 2005