Originally posted by OLDMAN
Hi everyone, I promised myself not to get sucked into this( forum) this year. Maybe just this one question.
The sigma sum notation could be confusing, particularly when there is an embedded summation(see Q8 HSC2000) or product like this one. First thing you have to do is have a feel for the expression by expanding it out.
For m=7, expression is 1+{6/5+(6*4)/(5*3)+(6*4*2)/(5*4*1)} and indeed it is equal to 7,
Now for m, expression is 1+{[(m-1)/(m-2)+[(m-1)(m-3)]/[(m-2)(m-4)+...+[(m-1)(m-3)...4*2]/[(m-2)(m-4)...3*1]}
The question is prove 1+{ }=m.
Assume true, that is {}=m-1, prove true for m+2 ie.:
1+{(m+1)/m+[(m+1)(m-1)]/[m(m-2)+...+)+...+[(m+1)(m-1)(m-3)...4*2]/[m(m-2)(m-4)...3*1]}=m+1
Now notice that the expression in {} has a common factor (m+1)/m.... the rest should be easy.