Question 24

The sum of all rational terms in the expansion of $$(1+2^{1/2}+3^{1/2})^{6}$$ is equal to


Correct Answer: 1296

We need to find the sum of all rational terms in the expansion of $$(1 + \sqrt{2} + \sqrt{3})^6$$.

By the multinomial theorem:

$$(1 + \sqrt{2} + \sqrt{3})^6 = \sum_{a+b+c=6} \frac{6!}{a!\,b!\,c!} \cdot 1^a \cdot (\sqrt{2})^b \cdot (\sqrt{3})^c$$

$$= \sum_{a+b+c=6} \frac{6!}{a!\,b!\,c!} \cdot 2^{b/2} \cdot 3^{c/2}$$

A term is rational when $$2^{b/2} \cdot 3^{c/2}$$ is rational, which requires both $$b$$ and $$c$$ to be even.

Let $$b = 2p$$ and $$c = 2q$$ where $$p, q \geq 0$$ and $$a + 2p + 2q = 6$$, so $$a = 6 - 2p - 2q$$.

We need $$a \geq 0$$, so $$p + q \leq 3$$:

$$(p, q)$$$$a$$$$b$$$$c$$$$\frac{6!}{a!\,b!\,c!} \cdot 2^p \cdot 3^q$$
$$(0, 0)$$600$$\frac{6!}{6!\,0!\,0!} \cdot 1 \cdot 1 = 1$$
$$(1, 0)$$420$$\frac{6!}{4!\,2!\,0!} \cdot 2 = 15 \times 2 = 30$$
$$(0, 1)$$402$$\frac{6!}{4!\,0!\,2!} \cdot 3 = 15 \times 3 = 45$$
$$(2, 0)$$240$$\frac{6!}{2!\,4!\,0!} \cdot 4 = 15 \times 4 = 60$$
$$(1, 1)$$222$$\frac{6!}{2!\,2!\,2!} \cdot 2 \cdot 3 = 90 \times 6 = 540$$
$$(0, 2)$$204$$\frac{6!}{2!\,0!\,4!} \cdot 9 = 15 \times 9 = 135$$
$$(3, 0)$$060$$\frac{6!}{0!\,6!\,0!} \cdot 8 = 1 \times 8 = 8$$
$$(2, 1)$$042$$\frac{6!}{0!\,4!\,2!} \cdot 4 \cdot 3 = 15 \times 12 = 180$$
$$(1, 2)$$024$$\frac{6!}{0!\,2!\,4!} \cdot 2 \cdot 9 = 15 \times 18 = 270$$
$$(0, 3)$$006$$\frac{6!}{0!\,0!\,6!} \cdot 27 = 1 \times 27 = 27$$

$$S = 1 + 30 + 45 + 60 + 540 + 135 + 8 + 180 + 270 + 27 = 1296$$

The answer is $$\boxed{1296}$$.

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