# Difference between revisions of "2004 AIME I Problems/Problem 7"

## Problem

Let $C$ be the coefficient of $x^2$ in the expansion of the product $(1 - x)(1 + 2x)(1 - 3x)\cdots(1 + 14x)(1 - 15x).$ Find $|C|.$

## Solution

### Solution 1

Let our polynomial be $P(x)$.

It is clear that the coefficient of $x$ in $P(x)$ is $-1 + 2 - 3 + \ldots + 14 - 15 = -8$, so $P(x) = 1 -8x + Cx^2 + Q(x)$, where $Q(x)$ is some polynomial divisible by $x^3$.

Then $P(-x) = 1 + 8x + Cx^2 + Q(-x)$ and so $P(x)\cdot P(-x) = 1 + (2C - 64)x^2 + R(x)$, where $R(x)$ is some polynomial divisible by $x^3$.

However, we also know $P(x)\cdot P(-x) = (1 - x)(1 + x)(1 +2x)(1 - 2x) \cdots (1 - 15x)(1 + 15x)$ $= (1 - x^2)(1 - 4x^2)\cdots(1 - 225x^2)$ $= 1 - (1 + 4 + \ldots + 225)x^2 + R(x)$.

Equating coefficients, we have $2C - 64 = -(1 + 4 + \ldots + 225) = -1240$, so $-2C = 1176$ and $|C| = \boxed{588}$.

### Solution 2

Let $S$ be the set of integers $\{-1,2,-3,\ldots,14,-15\}$. The coefficient of $x^2$ in the expansion is equal to the sum of the product of each pair of distinct terms, or $C = \sum_{1 \le i \neq j}^{15} S_iS_j$. Also, we know that \begin{align*}\left(\sum_{i=1}^{n} S_i\right)^2 &= \left(\sum_{i=1}^{n} S_i^2\right) + 2\left(\sum_{1 \le i \neq j}^{15} S_iS_j\right)\\ (-8)^2 &= \frac{15(15+1)(2\cdot 15+1)}{6} + 2C\end{align*} where the left-hand sum can be computed from:

$\sum_{i=1}^{15} S_i = S_{15} + \left(\sum_{i=1}^{7} S_{2i-1} + S_{2i}\right) = -15 + 7 = -8$

and the right-hand sum comes from the formula for the sum of the first $n$ perfect squares. Therefore, $|C| = \left|\frac{64-1240}{2}\right| = \boxed{588}$.