Leaderboard wrote:
The question has a bug. You mention that Sn = 2^(n - 1), but from your description the first term is 2, which is 2^1, not 2^0. And also there isn't quite any correct answer either, because
S_n = a(r^n - 1)/(r - 1). Then S_n = 2(2^n - 1) or (2^n - 1) depending on what a is, and I don't think any of the options fit it.
When n=10
S = S_1 + S_2 + .... + S_9 + S_10
=> S = 2 + 2^1 + 2^2 + 2^3 + .... + 2^8 + 2^9
=> S - 2 = 2^1 + 2^2 + 2^3 + .... + 2^8 + 2^9
Lets consider RHS as X
X = 2^1 + 2^2 + 2^3 + .... + 2^8 + 2^9
2*X = 2^2 + 2^3 + .... + 2^8 + 2^9 + 2^10
subtract first equation from second
=> 2*X - X = -2^1 + 0 + 0 + 0 + .... + 0 + 0 + 2^10
=> X = 2^10 - 2
S = X + 2 = 2^10
The answer is B.
It would have been better if it was mentioned that S_n = 2^(n-1) for n>1.