Sum (1 Viewer)

Carrotsticks

Retired
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Messages
9,494
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Find the value of the sum:



Assuming the behaviour of the summands is consistent over large n.
 

Carrotsticks

Retired
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Messages
9,494
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
And of course like always, I'm looking for a correct method, not the answer.
 

bleakarcher

Active Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2011
Messages
1,509
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
k/(k+1)!=1/k! - 1/(k+1)!
Now just use a telescoping series to simplify sum and obtain 1 - 1/(n+1)!
The limit of this is 1.
 

lolcakes52

Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2011
Messages
286
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2012
I had a bit of fun with this using taylor series.



so basically



differentiating both sides we get



let x equal one and bam we get the limit, the advantage of this approach is we could use it to find other sums with powers of x etc.
 
Last edited:

Carrotsticks

Retired
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Messages
9,494
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
I had a bit of fun with this using taylor series.



so basically



differentiating both sides we get



let x equal one and bam we get the limit, the advantage of this approach is we could use it to find other sums with powers of x etc.
Just saw this post.

You have to be very careful about differentiating or integrating infinite terms.

Reason is because we can't know for sure (without proof) that the behaviour of the curve (differentiability-wise) is consistent over infinitely many terms.

The power series expansion you had there converges uniformly to e^x, so that gives us free reign to do all sorts of things with it, which happens to include differentiating (also integrating) an infinite number of terms.
 

abecina

Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2008
Messages
44
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
Just saw this post.

You have to be very careful about differentiating or integrating infinite terms.

Reason is because we can't know for sure (without proof) that the behaviour of the curve (differentiability-wise) is consistent over infinitely many terms.

The power series expansion you had there converges uniformly to e^x, so that gives us free reign to do all sorts of things with it, which happens to include differentiating (also integrating) an infinite number of terms.
Therse are really helpful comments that you add, Carrotsticks. Thanks
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top