We want the numerical coefficient of the term in x27 of the complete expansion of (x²+5x+2)5(x²-7x+3)9. (x²+5x+2)5(x²-7x+3)9 equals this product of 14 trinomials: (x²+5x+2)(x²+5x+2)(x²+5x+2)(x²+5x+2)(x²+5x+2)*(x²-7x+3)(x²-7x+3)(x²-7x+3)(x²-7x+3)(x²-7x+3)(x²-7x+3)(x²-7x+3)(x²-7x+3)(x²-7x+3) The complete expansion can be considered as the sum of all products of 14 factors where one factor is taken from each of the 14 trinomials. since 27 = 13·2+1 The only way to get a term in x27 is to take the x² term from 13 of the trinomials and the x-term from the remaining one. There will be 14 terms in x27 to combine, of which 5 will be of this form (5x)*(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²) = 5x27 with the (5x) in the 5 positions 1-5 and the other 9 will be of this form: (x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)*(-7x)*(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²)(x²) = -7x27 with the (-7x) in the 9 positions 6-14 Therefore the term in x27 is 5(5x27) + 9(-7x27) = 25x27 - 63x27 = -38x27 The coefficient of that term is -38. The answer is -38. Edwin