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Saturday, 31 October

JEE Main · Maths · Sequences and Series

Method of Differences (Vn Method)

JEE Main asked Method of Differences (Vn Method) 7 times in 7 of the 108 shifts Lumi analysed, in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. It belongs to AP and GP, in Sequences and Series (Maths). The longest wait between two years asking it was 1 year. In 2022 it came in more than one shift of the same year.

Updated 2026-10-24

Times asked
7
in 7 shifts
Years
5 of 8
First asked
2022
last in 2026
Pattern
Asked most years
across the analysed shifts

Questions on this idea a shift, by year

2017–2026. Asked in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. Years differ in how many shifts Lumi analysed, so each year is scaled to one shift of 25 Maths questions.

00.10.20’170’200’210.11’220.07’230.05’240.13’250.11’26

Raw count: 2017: 0 in 1 shift · 2020: 0 in 12 shifts · 2021: 0 in 24 shifts · 2022: 3 in 24 shifts · 2023: 1 in 12 shifts · 2024: 1 in 18 shifts · 2025: 1 in 8 shifts · 2026: 1 in 9 shifts.

Shift by shift

Each square is one analysed shift, in date order. Open a filled one for that paper.

  • 20261 of 9
  • 20251 of 8
  • 20241 of 18
  • 20231 of 12
  • 20223 of 24
  • 20210 of 24
  • 20200 of 12
  • 20170 of 1

Asked in that shift More than once Not asked

How JEE Main framed it

Single correct is the usual form. Skill tested: multi-step.

  • Sum of series with summation general term
  • Sum of series by telescoping

Difficulty

Easy 1Medium 3Hard 3

3 of the 7 questions had a numerical answer.

Every question

All 7 questions

From the official JEE Main shift papers, newest first. Open one for the full question, the options and the official answer.

  1. 5 Apr 2026, Shift 2 · Q5If the sum of the first 10 terms of the series…HardSingle correct
  2. 2 Apr 2025, Shift 2 · Q22If the sum of the first 10 terms of the series…HardNumerical value
  3. 9 Apr 2024, Shift 1 · Q5If the sum of the series 11⋅(1+d)+1(1+d)(1+2d)+…+1(1+9d)(1+10d)\frac{1}{1\cdot(1+d)}+\frac{1}{(1+d)(1+2d)}+\ldots+\frac{1}{(1+9d)(1+10d)} is equal to 55, then 50d50d is equal…MediumSingle correct
  4. 6 Apr 2023, Shift 1 · Q8Let a1,a2,a3,…,ana_1,a_2,a_3,\ldots,a_n be nn positive consecutive terms of an arithmetic progression. If d>0d>0 is its common difference, then…MediumSingle correct
  5. 30 Jun 2022, Shift 1 · Q7The value of 1+11+2+11+2+3+…+11+2+3+…+111 + \frac{1}{1+2} + \frac{1}{1+2+3} + \ldots + \frac{1}{1+2+3+\ldots+11} is equal to :EasySingle correct
  6. 27 Jun 2022, Shift 1 · Q27If the sum of the first ten terms of the series 15+265+3325+41025+52501+…\frac{1}{5}+\frac{2}{65}+\frac{3}{325}+\frac{4}{1025}+\frac{5}{2501}+\ldots is…HardNumerical value
  7. 29 Jul 2022, Shift 1 · Q28If…MediumNumerical value

Shifts: 27 Jun 2022, Shift 1, 30 Jun 2022, Shift 1, 29 Jul 2022, Shift 1, 6 Apr 2023, Shift 1, 9 Apr 2024, Shift 1, 2 Apr 2025, Shift 2, 5 Apr 2026, Shift 2.

Same topic

Other ideas in AP and GP

AP and GP has 23 ideas JEE Main has asked; 16 of them came up in more than one question. The 12 most asked are below.

Topic analysisChapter analysisStudy this chapterAll repeated ideas