Can you spot the trick?

Calculus Level 4

R = x = 1 x 5 9 x x 8 3 x 6 + 27 x 2 81 \large\mathfrak R=\displaystyle\sum_{x=1}^{\infty}\dfrac{x^5-9x}{x^8-3x^6+27x^2-81}

If R \mathfrak R can be written in the form p q \dfrac pq , where p p and q q are coprime positive integers , find p q |p-q| .

None of the other options 11 2 5 9 0 7 The sum diverges

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3 solutions

Rishabh Jain
Jun 22, 2016

Numerator : x ( x 4 9 ) \color{#0C6AC7}{\text{Numerator}}:\color{#0C6AC7}{x(x^4-9)}

Also, x 6 + 27 = ( x 2 + 3 ) ( x 4 3 x 2 + 9 ) = ( x 2 + 3 ) ( x 2 + 3 x + 3 ) ( x 2 3 x + 3 ) x^6+27=(x^2+3)(x^4-3x^2+9)\\~~~~=(x^2+3)(x^2+3x+3)(x^2-3x+3)

Hence Denominator : ( x 4 9 ) ( x 2 3 x + 3 ) ( x 2 + 3 x + 3 ) \color{#0C6AC7}{\text{Denominator}}:(\color{#0C6AC7}{x^4-9})(x^2-3x+3)(x^2+3x+3)

R = x = 1 [ x ( x 2 3 x + 3 ) ( x 2 + 3 x + 3 ) ] \mathfrak{R}=\displaystyle\sum_{x=1}^{\infty}\left[\dfrac{x}{(x^2-3x+3)(x^2+3x+3)}\right]

= 1 6 x = 1 [ 1 ( x 2 3 x + 3 ) 1 ( x 2 + 3 x + 3 ) ] =\dfrac 16\displaystyle\sum_{x=1}^{\infty}\left[\dfrac{1}{(x^2-3x+3)}-\dfrac1{(x^2+3x+3)}\right]

( A T e l e s c o p i c S e r i e s ) \large (\mathbf{A~Telescopic~Series})

= 1 6 [ 1 + 1 + 1 3 ] \large =\dfrac 16\left[1+1+\dfrac 13\right] = 7 18 \large =\dfrac7{18}

18 7 = 11 \huge \therefore 18-7=\boxed{11}

Yep, cool question(reshared and liked), cooolest solution!!(upvoted)

Ashish Menon - 4 years, 11 months ago

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Oh.. Thank you very much... Keep solving and posting... :-)

Rishabh Jain - 4 years, 11 months ago

Nice! problem and solution! :)

Prakhar Bindal - 4 years, 11 months ago

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Thanks..... ¨ \ddot\smile

Rishabh Jain - 4 years, 11 months ago

Could you explain how you calculated that the sum of the telescopic series u got at the very end is 1+1+1/3?

Jan Chomiak - 4 years, 11 months ago

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Write some of the starting terms and you will see how the series telescopes... ( 1 1 7 ) + ( 1 1 13 ) + ( 1 3 1 21 ) + ( 1 7 + 1 31 ) + ( 1 13 1 43 ) \left(1\cancel{\color{#EC7300}{-\dfrac{1}{7}}}\right)\\+\left(1\cancel{\color{#D61F06}{-\dfrac1{13}}}\right)\\+\left(\dfrac1{3}-\dfrac1{21}\right)\\+\left(\cancel{\color{#EC7300}{\dfrac1{7}}}+\dfrac1{31}\right)\\+\left(\cancel{\color{#D61F06}{\dfrac1{13}}}-\dfrac1{43}\right)\\\cdots

See above the pattern how the terms cancel.All except first and last three terms cancel. Last three terms approach zero as x x\to\infty so only first three terms remain and that's what I've written.. :-)

Rishabh Jain - 4 years, 11 months ago

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@Rishabh Cool

There is no need to calculate the terms, you can show telescopy without calculating the terms.

Notice that, x 2 + 3 x + 3 = ( x + 3 ) 2 3 ( x + 3 ) + 3 x^{2}+3x+3\,=\,(x+\color{#3D99F6}{3})^{2}-3(x+\color{#3D99F6}{3})+3 .

Now, 1 6 [ n = 1 ( 1 x 2 3 x + 3 1 x 2 + 3 x + 3 ) ] = 1 6 [ n = 1 1 x 2 3 x + 3 n = 1 1 ( x + 3 ) 2 3 ( x + 3 ) + 3 ] = 1 6 [ n = 1 1 x 2 3 x + 3 n = 4 1 x 2 3 x + 3 ] = 1 6 [ 1 + 1 + 1 3 ] = 7 18 \dfrac{1}{6} \left[\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \left(\dfrac{1}{x^{2}-3x+3} \,-\, \dfrac{1}{x^{2}+3x+3}\right)\right]\,=\, \dfrac{1}{6} \left[\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \dfrac{1}{x^{2}-3x+3}\,-\, \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \dfrac{1}{(x+\color{#3D99F6}{3})^{2}-3(x+\color{#3D99F6}{3})+3}\right] \,=\, \dfrac{1}{6} \left[\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \dfrac{1}{x^{2}-3x+3}\,-\, \sum_{n=\color{#3D99F6}{4}}^{\infty} \dfrac{1}{x^{2}-3x+3}\right] \,=\, \dfrac{1}{6} \left[1+1+\dfrac{1}{3}\right]\,=\,\dfrac{7}{18} .

Aditya Sky - 4 years, 11 months ago

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@Aditya Sky Nice I tried it this way but could not get it. Thanks for teaching me. up voted.

Niranjan Khanderia - 3 years, 11 months ago

Thanks a lot :)

Jan Chomiak - 4 years, 11 months ago

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@Jan Chomiak No problem... :-)

Rishabh Jain - 4 years, 11 months ago

Nice, well done.

Karim Sharif - 4 years, 11 months ago

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Thanks... :-)... Keep solving

Rishabh Jain - 4 years, 11 months ago

Plzz tell how we came to the second step of factorising the denominator

Sparsh Gupta - 4 years, 11 months ago

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(Basically its the Sophie Germain identity)

x 4 3 x 2 + 9 = ( x 4 + 6 x 2 + 9 ) 9 x 2 = ( x 2 + 3 ) 2 ( 3 x ) 2 = ( x 2 + 3 3 x ) ( x 2 + 3 + 3 x ) x^4-3x^2+9=(x^4+6x^2+9)-9x^2=(x^2+3)^2-(3x)^2=(x^2+3-3x)(x^2+3+3x)

Rishabh Jain - 4 years, 11 months ago

I also got the solution as 1/6 (2+(1/3)).But then i simplify it as 1/6 8/3=4/9=p/q. so absolute value of p-q =5.A silly mistake!...

vinod trivedi - 4 years, 11 months ago

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No problem.... You can always learn from them... :-)

Rishabh Jain - 4 years, 11 months ago

You are kidding with me, the sum is 0.4924111

Jozofrend Horvath - 4 years, 11 months ago

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No.... The answer is indeed correct

Rishabh Jain - 4 years, 11 months ago

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sorry, there was a mistake in my Pascal sequence

Jozofrend Horvath - 4 years, 10 months ago

sorry, it was a mistake in my Pascal sequence

Jozofrend Horvath - 4 years, 10 months ago

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@Jozofrend Horvath No problem... :-)

Rishabh Jain - 4 years, 10 months ago
Rishav Koirala
Jul 3, 2016

For those yet unfamiliar with telescopic series, here is a more laborious solution:

Simplify the fraction to get: x x 2 ( x 2 3 ) + 9 \frac{x}{x^2(x^2-3)+9} .

Then do the summation manually until x = 20 x=20 , or using your calculator until x = 500 x=500 or so.

It will be clear that the series converges to 0.3888888... 0.3888888... .

Now all we need to do is to convert that into a rational fraction.

Let x = 0.3888888... x=0.3888888... .

Then 10 x = 3.888888... 10x=3.888888... and 100 x = 38.88888... 100x=38.88888... .

Subtract the last two to get 90 x = 35 90x=35 , or x = x= 7 18 \frac{7}{18}

So, the answer is the absolute value of 7 18 7-18 , i.e. 11 11 .

This is not a good solution. No finite number of terms will allow you to know with certainty that it converges to 7/18. You can, with only minor modifications, come up with series which will sum to 0.388888888889.

Alfred Yerger - 4 years, 11 months ago

I know. I never said it was a good solution. But it sure helps in making a guess!

Rishav Koirala - 4 years, 11 months ago

I solved it the Rishabh Cool way with long way for telescopic series.

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