The sum of the series $ \frac{1}{1+\sqrt{2}}+\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}+\sqrt{3}}+\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}+\sqrt{4}}+\ldots…

The sum of the series $ \frac{1}{1+\sqrt{2}}+\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}+\sqrt{3}}+\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}+\sqrt{4}}+\ldots $ upto 15 terms is
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4

Solution

Given series is $ \begin{aligned} & \frac{1}{1+\sqrt{2}}+\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}+\sqrt{3}}+\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}+\sqrt{4}}+\ldots . . \\ & n^{\text {th }} \text { term }=\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}+\sqrt{n+1}} \\ & \therefore 15^{\text {th }} \text { term }=\frac{1}{\sqrt{15}+\sqrt{16}} \end{aligned} $ Thus, given series upto 15 terms is $ \frac{1}{1+\sqrt{2}}+\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}+\sqrt{3}}+\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}+\sqrt{4}}+\ldots \ldots+\frac{1}{\sqrt{15}+\sqrt{16}} $ This can be re-written as $ \frac{1-\sqrt{2}}{-1}+\frac{\sqrt{2}-\sqrt{3}}{-1}+\frac{\sqrt{3}-\sqrt{4}}{-1}+\ldots \ldots+\frac{\sqrt{15}-\sqrt{16}}{-1} $ (By rationalization) $ \begin{gathered} =-1+\sqrt{2}-\sqrt{2}+\sqrt{3}-\sqrt{3}+\sqrt{4}+\ldots . .-\sqrt{14}+\sqrt{15} \\ -\sqrt{15}+\sqrt{16} \\ =-1+\sqrt{16}=-1+4=3 \end{gathered} $ Hence, the required sum $=3$

Asked in: JEE Main 2012 (12 May Online)

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