My way of solving infinite series

To understand this concept you must understand a variable number, a variable number is a number dedicated to or denotes a variable in a series, this number can have more than one variable but can't share a variable with other numbers, it also can't be a decimal. Ex1:

x=1abc\sum_{x=1}^∞ a \frac{b}{c}

In the example x=1, right? 1 is the variable number and X is its dedicated variable(seems simple but trust me, it can be any number that's not ∞ or a decimal) this is what most of these problems look like:

x=524×x210=ab\sum_{x=5}^∞ 2\frac{4\times x^{2}}{10} = \frac{a}{b} Find a+b

x=5x=5 x2=25x^{2}=25 25×4=10025\times 4 =100 10010=100+10=110\frac{100}{10}=100+10=\boxed{110}

As you saw converging is not done in this method,the way around this is a dummy answer:

10010=10\frac{100}{10}=\boxed{10}

I hope you consider this a lesson for my future problems, take care!

#Calculus

Note by Garrett O’Brien
5 years, 2 months ago

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1 vote

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Comments

I am afraid you are missing the point about what a series is. All your method seems to be doing is finding the first term in a sum, and not the sum itself.

By putting x=1x=1 in the expression x=12x\sum_{x=1}^\infty 2^{-x} your method gets 12\tfrac12, and not the correct answer of 11. If (as you do) you only consider the first term of a series, you will continue to get finite answers to series that have no finite limit.

Incidentally, your notion of a variable number is what is normally called a dummy variable. It is a place-holder variable used to indicate how to perform summations, integrals or other calculations. For example. in x=11x2 \sum_{x=1}^\infty \frac{1}{x^2} xx is an integer-valued dummy variable which can take any value greater than 11, while in 03sinxdx \int_0^3 \sin x\,dx xx is a real-valued dummy variable which can take any value between 00 and 33. For that matter (just to show that dummy variables are not confined to sums and integrals), in j=15Aj  =  A1A2A3A4A5 \bigcup_{j=1}^5 A_j \; = \; A_1 \cup A_2 \cup A_3 \cup A_4 \cup A_5 jj is an integer-valued dummy variable taking values between 11 and 55.

Mark Hennings - 5 years, 2 months ago

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Thank you for your input, but one thing that bugged me in your comment was the part where the answer was 1/2 and not 1, that is where an error was, you have to not treat it like a fraction if its not a fraction, for example: x=14×x2\sum_{x=1}^\infty 4\times x^{2} There are the three formulas and we have to pick the correct one x=14×x2=a,abcorab\sum_{x=1}^\infty 4\times x^{2}=a,a\frac{b}{c} or \frac{a}{b}

The correct formula for this series is the first formula

The rest made sense, thanks again

Garrett O’Brien - 5 years, 2 months ago

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I am sorry, but this is nonsense. There is no correct formula for the series you mention, which diverges.

Your method would pick x=1x=1 and get the answer of 44 here, I suppose. The whole point of a dummy variable here is that it indicates the range of values over which the sum is to be performed. Thus, as well as x=1x=1 giving 44, we have to add the contribution from x=2x=2, which is 1616, then the contribution from x=3x=3, which is 3636 and so on, including the contribution from all positive values of xx. The expression x=14x2 \sum_{x=1}^\infty 4x^2 is mathematical shorthand for the sum 4+16+36+64+100+144+ 4 + 16 + 36 + 64 + 100 + 144 + \cdots which does not converge to any value.

Mark Hennings - 5 years, 2 months ago

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@Mark Hennings I'm going to have to think about this and do some testing, I will decide later if you are right or I have more of an argument

Garrett O’Brien - 5 years, 2 months ago

Sorry,That was my bad excision of certain things

Garrett O’Brien - 5 years, 2 months ago

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@Garrett O’Brien I am not quite sure what you mean by that.

I am keen that you take some time to try to understand convergence properly. Isham Singh has given you a link to a suitable Wiki, which would be a good point to start.

Mark Hennings - 5 years, 2 months ago

a=1b=2c=3x=24y=25z=26a+b2+c3++x24+y25+z26a26+b25+c24++x3+y2+z=αγ\sum_{a=1}^{\infty}\sum_{b=2}^{\infty}\sum_{c=3}^{\infty} \dots \sum_{x=24}^{\infty}\sum_{y=25}^{\infty}\sum_{z=26}^{\infty} \dfrac{a+b^2+c^3+\dots+x^{24}+y^{25}+z^{26}}{a^{26}+b^{25}+c^{24}+\dots + x^{3}+y^2+z} = \dfrac{\alpha}{\gamma}

This works for all a,b,c,d,,x,y,za,b,c,d,\dots , x,y,z who either are not in decimal and not infinity. Take it as a challenge dude @Ark3 Graptor !

Nihar Mahajan - 5 years, 2 months ago

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no, its not a=1,b=2,c=3 etc. its this: a can equal 1,2,3,4,5....any other number, just not a=.1 or a=\infty

Garrett O’Brien - 5 years, 2 months ago

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Are you trying to argue the definition of a summation? This is not philosophy, I think you are in the wrong place.

Julian Poon - 5 years, 2 months ago

The series you are talking about does not converge for x1x\geq1.

Aditya Kumar - 5 years, 2 months ago

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The variable number changes that so x=1, did you forget to read that part?

Garrett O’Brien - 5 years, 2 months ago

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If you don't mind, can you explain the concept of variable number to me with a few more examples?

Aditya Kumar - 5 years, 2 months ago

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@Aditya Kumar Ah, the variable number is designed for people to understand the true meaning and thought on a series, infinite or finite. This is what more than one variable numbers look like(the amount of sums can be infinite)

x=1y=2z=3x+y+zzy+x=ab=62\sum_{x=1}^\infty \sum_{y=2}^\infty \sum_{z=3}^\infty \frac{x+y+z}{z-y+x} = \frac{a}{b}=\frac{6}{2} The true meaning of a infinite series is to have no limit and for the number to not be changed

Garrett O’Brien - 5 years, 2 months ago

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@Garrett O’Brien If you don't mind can I talk to you on any other private platform(other than fb)? I need to ask you some questions.

Aditya Kumar - 5 years, 2 months ago

And converging isn't necessarily in this problem the only form of that is the dummy answer I edited in this morning

Garrett O’Brien - 5 years, 2 months ago

What's the proof that your hypothesis is correct?

Aditya Kumar - 5 years, 2 months ago

@Ark3 Graptor This might help.

Ishan Singh - 5 years, 2 months ago

Please read up on how to use the notation before posting. Using notation in a way that doesn't make sense might make you look smart among people who don't know what the notation means but it makes you look stupid among those who know.

Julian Poon - 5 years, 2 months ago

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You are absolutely right.

Aditya Kumar - 5 years, 2 months ago
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