k = 1 ∑ c ( 2 k 1 ) − 1 + k = c + 1 ∑ 2 c ( 2 k 1 ) − 3 1 + k = 2 c + 1 ∑ 3 c ( 2 k 1 ) − 5 1 + ⋯ = 2 1 ln 4 5
In the previous series, the number c is a positive integer and the sum of the series is the number 2 1 ln 4 5 . Find the value of c if there is any, otherwise, enter a 666 as your answer.
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Lovely problem and careful solution (+1) Thanks!
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Thank you, compañero. Right now I was fixing a typo. I put x instead of n at two places. But Otto, I don't know what problem is difficult for you. You solve everything in just few minutes.
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Your problems are always interesting and thought-provoking, compañero... I drop everything I'm doing and attempt to solve them. I can see your fine Soviet training shining through ;)
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@Otto Bretscher – Thank you, Otto. I really appreciate.
Compañero Presa has written a fine solution. For the sake of variety, let me group the terms in a different way:
Let S n be the partial sum up to the term − 2 n − 1 1 , for a fixed c . Then S n = ∑ k = 1 2 n k ( − 1 ) k + ∑ k = n + 1 c n 2 k 1 . The first summand tends to − ln ( 2 ) . The second summand is a right Riemann sum of 2 x 1 for 1 ≤ x ≤ c , tending to 2 ln ( c ) . Thus lim n → ∞ S n = 2 1 ln ( 4 c ) , and c = 5 . (Since the terms of the series tend to 0, all the partial sum will have the same limit.)
Great solution! Very cleanly presented :)
Amazing, Otto! A lot simpler than mine!
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Let us use the notation H n = 1 + 2 1 + 3 1 + . . . + n 1 . The number H n is called the n t h - harmonic number. If we add the first ( c + 1 ) n first terms of the given series, we obtain the following expression S ( c + 1 ) n = k = 1 ∑ c n 2 k 1 − k = 1 ∑ n 2 k − 1 1 = k = 1 ∑ c n 2 k 1 − k = 1 ∑ n 2 k 1 − k = 1 ∑ n 2 k − 1 1 + k = 1 ∑ n 2 k 1 . = k = 1 ∑ c n 2 k 1 − k = 1 ∑ 2 n k 1 + k = 1 ∑ n 2 k 1 . Thus we have got that: S ( c + 1 ) n = 2 1 H c n − H 2 n + 2 1 H n . Therefore, S ( c + 1 ) n = 2 1 ( H c n − ln c n ) − ( H 2 n − ln 2 n ) + 2 1 ( H n − ln n ) + 2 1 ln c n − ln 2 n + 2 1 ln n = 2 1 ( H c n − ln c n ) − ( H 2 n − ln 2 n ) + 2 1 ( H n − ln n ) + 2 1 ln 4 c . Now using that lim n → ∞ ( H n − ln n ) = γ , where γ is the Euler–Mascheroni constant, and that the sum of the given series is 2 1 ln 4 5 , we obtain that lim n → ∞ S ( c + 1 ) n = 2 1 ln 4 c = 2 1 ln 4 5 , and therefore is easy to see that c = 5 . For our solution to be complete, we would need to prove that our series converges when c = 5 . The previous calculations show that lim n → ∞ S 6 n = 2 1 ln 4 5 . To prove that S n converges to the same value, it would be enough to show that any subsequence of the form S 6 n + r , where r ∈ { 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 } , converges also to 2 1 ln 4 5 , which is not difficult to obtain if you realize that lim n → ∞ ( S 6 n + r − S 6 n ) = 0 for any such a number r .