The sum of the first 8 terms of a GP is five times the sum of its first 4 terms. If r1 is the common ratio, then what is the number of possible real values of r?

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NDA-I (Mathematics) Official Paper (Held On: 13 Apr, 2025)
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  1. One 
  2. Two 
  3. Three
  4. More than three 

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 2 : Two 
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Calculation:

Given,

The sum of the first 8 terms of a GP is 5 times the sum of its first 4 terms.

The formula for the sum of the first n terms of a GP is:

Substitute for and into the equation:

Let x = r4, giving the quadratic equation:

Solving for x , we get:

Since x = r4, this gives:

The number of possible real values of r  is two: .

Hence, the correct answer is Option 2.

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