Another summation

Calculus Level 3

What the sum of 1 n 2 \dfrac{1}{n^{2}} from 2 to infinity where n can have only even values?


The answer is 0.411.

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1 solution

Michael Huang
Dec 5, 2016

\substack positive even n 1 n 2 \sum\limits_{\substack{\text{positive} \\ \text{even }n}}^{\infty} \dfrac{1}{n^2} Express the given summation as k = 1 1 ( 2 k ) 2 = k = 1 1 4 1 k 2 = 1 4 k = 1 1 k 2 \begin{array}{rl} \sum\limits_{k = 1}^{\infty} \dfrac{1}{\left(2k\right)^2} &= \sum\limits_{k = 1}^{\infty} \dfrac{1}{4} \cdot \dfrac{1}{k^2}\\ &= \dfrac{1}{4} \sum\limits_{k = 1}^{\infty} \dfrac{1}{k^2} \end{array} Since k = 1 1 k 2 = π 2 6 \sum\limits_{k = 1}^{\infty} \dfrac{1}{k^2} = \dfrac{\pi^2}{6} this concludes that \begin{array}{rl} \sum\limits_{\substack{\text{positive} \\ \text{even }n}}^{\infty} \dfrac{1}{n^2} &= \dfrac{1}{4} \cdot \dfrac{\pi^2}{6}\\ &= \boxed{\dfrac{\pi^2}{24}} \end{array}

Similarly, Summation of positive odd n (1/n^2) = (3/4) Summation of (1/k^2) and it comes to (pi)^2/8 which is 3 times the summation of the positive even n. Strange that there is so much of a difference.

Vijay Simha - 4 years, 6 months ago

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