Fun with series 3

Algebra Level 4

1 1 1 + 2 1 1 + 2 + 3 1 1 + 2 + 3 + + 50 \large 1 - \dfrac1{1+2} - \dfrac1{1+2+3} - \ldots - \dfrac1{1+2+3+\ldots+50}

If the value of the expression above equals to m n \dfrac mn for coprime positive integers m m and n n , find the value of m + n m+n .


The answer is 53.

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2 solutions

U Z
Sep 16, 2014

sum of first natural numbers is given by n(n+1)/2 there the series is 1 2 ( 1 2.3 + 1 3.4 + . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + 1 50.51 ) 1 - 2( \frac{1}{2.3} + \frac{1}{3.4} + .............. + \frac{1}{50.51}) now we can write

1 2.3 \frac{1}{2.3} as 1 2 1 3 \frac{1}{2} -\frac{1}{3}

similarly every term and at last we get 2 51 \frac{ 2}{51} m +n =53

You have used partial fractions

Mehul Chaturvedi - 6 years, 6 months ago

We can also use the fact that all the denominators are in the form n ( n + 1 ) 2 \frac{n(n+1)}{2}

Kartik Sharma - 6 years, 6 months ago
Muhammad Tariq
Dec 20, 2014

The denominator of every successive odd term is increases by 1 in the series. Let T(x) denote the xth term and S(x) the sum of x terms. By calculation of the sum of the first few terms, we know that S(1)=1, S(3)=1/2, S(5)=1/3. Let d denote the denominator of any odd term in the series. Notice that the relation between S(x) and d is: S(x)=2d-1. Thus solving for S(49) would give the value d=25. Therefore S(49) is: 1/25. To find the denominator of the last term T(50), we use the formula for the sum of an arithmetic progression: (50/2)(2+(50-1))=1275. Thus S(50) =(1/25)-(1/1275)=2/51. And 2+51=53!

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