For all x ∈ C , let S n = x n + x n 1 .
After removing a number S b from the series ( S 1 + S 2 + … + S a ) when Sandeep Bhardwaj, the magician, divides the remaining part with S b , he somehow always manages to get another series ( S 1 + S 2 + … + S c ) as the answer. Now find the value of ( a − b − c ) and therefore, decipher his trick.
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Great solution! But you should improve your wording to make it clearer, such as putting an equal sign
Try to proof that if a is even, there would not exist integers b and c
Damn I couldn't get the last ,otherwise I could have bashed the set
I ≡ n = 1 ∑ a S n = n = 1 ∑ a ( x n + x n 1 ) = n = 1 ∑ a x n + n = 1 ∑ a ( x 1 ) n = x − 1 x a + 1 − x + ( 1 / x ) − 1 ( 1 / x ) a + 1 − ( 1 / x ) = x − 1 x a + 1 − x + x − 1 1 − x − a = x − 1 ( 1 − x − a ) ( x a + 1 + 1 )
Now...
n = 1 ∑ c S n x − 1 ( 1 − x − c ) ( x c + 1 + 1 ) ≡ S b I − S b ≡ ( x − 1 ) ( x b + x − b ) ( 1 − x − a ) ( x a + 1 + 1 ) − 1
So, moving everything to one side and multiplying by ( x − 1 ) ( x b + x − b ) ...
( 1 − x − a ) ( x a + 1 + 1 ) − ( x − 1 ) ( x b + x − b ) − ( 1 − x − c ) ( x c + 1 + 1 ) ( x b + x − b ) 1 − x − x − a + x a + 1 + x − b − c + x b − c − x 1 − b + c − x 1 + b + c ≡ 0 ≡ 0
As all of our terms have coefficient 1 or -1 and two terms may only be identically opposite if they have the same power, the terms must cancel pairwise. The terms with coefficient 1 are 1 , x a + 1 , x − b − c , and x b − c . The terms with coefficient -1 are − x , − x − a , − x − b + c + 1 , and − x b + c + 1 . We have that − b − c < 0 and − a < 0 , while b + c + 1 > 0 , a + 1 > 0 , and (of course) 1 > 0 . We have one term with a positive coefficient and a power of 0 . We have only one term with a negative coefficient and a power that is not determined to be either greater or less than 0 : − x − b + c + 1 . To cancel the term 1 , we must thus have − b + c + 1 = 0 , or c = b − 1 . Thus, b − c = 1 > 0 . We have only one term with a positive coefficient and a negative power: x − b − c . We have only one term with a negative coefficient and a negative power: − x − a . Thus, these two terms must cancel each other, and − b − c = − a , or a − b − c = 0 .
Note that the problem statement does not hold true when x = 1 . For x = 1 , our identity for the geometric sum is false, and we have ∑ n = 1 a S n = 2 a , ∑ n = 1 c S n = 2 c , and S b = 2 , so our equation gives us the solution c = 2 a − 1 , which is not valid for even a . I therefore recommend that you specify that x = 1 , although I assume that most people could figure that out on their own.
No, involving the case when x = 1 is absolutely no problem. You could have taken an odd a without violating anything. Your solution involves geometric sum so it says nothing about the case when x = 1 .
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I read the problem statement as implying that this trick should work for any a , and that the values of b and c were the only ones being chosen by Sandeep.
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( x n + x n − 1 + . . . + x 2 + x + x 1 + x 2 1 + . . . + x n − 1 1 + x n 1 ) ( x n + 1 + x n + 1 1 )
= x 2 n + 1 + x 2 n + . . . + x n + 2 + x n + . . . + x 2 + x + x 1 + x 2 1 + x n 1 + . . . + x n + 2 1 + . . . + x 2 n 1 + x 2 n + 1 1
a = 2 n + 1 , b = n + 1 , c = n