The question is: Find the first three non zero terms for the taylor series for $\frac{\cos(z)}{1 + z^2} $ around $z_0 = 0$
What I've done so far is let $f(z) = \frac{\cos(z)}{1 + z^2}$
Then I let $f(z)$ be some arbitrary expansion of a series given by: $(a_0 + a_2z^2 + a_4z^4 +\dots)$
I ignored all odd terms as I noted that $\cos(z)$ is an even series so the coefficients of all odd terms will be zero.
Then I evaluated $f(z)(1 + z^2) = \cos(z)$ which was $(a_0 + a_2z^2 + a_4z^4 +..)(1 - z^2 + z^4 - ..)$ and I attempted to equate for coefficients of a:
I obtained $$a_0 + (a_2 - a_0)z^2 + (a_4 - a_2 + a_0)z^4 + \dots\\ = 1 - \frac{z^2}{2!} + \frac{z^4}{4!} - .. (\text{expansion of }cos(z))$$
The equating coefficients I obtained: $$a_0 = 1 $$ $$a_2 = 1/2$$ $$a_4 = -11/24$$
However these co-efficients are incorrect based off wolfram and the answers (which do not have worked solutions)
I've been tearing my head out trying to figure out where I've gone wrong but I just can't seem to tell!
You seem to be saying that $1+z^2 = 1 - z^2 + z^4 - \cdots$ which is incorrect. (The right hand side is $(1+z^2)^{-1}$.)
Just expand $(a_0 + a_2z^2 + a_4z^4 + \cdots)(1+z^2)$ and you should be fine.