Identify the general term

Calculus Level 4

4 1 ! + 11 2 ! + 22 3 ! + 37 4 ! + 56 5 ! + \large\frac{4}{1!}+\frac{11}{2!}+\frac{22}{3!}+\frac{37}{4!}+\frac{56}{5!}+ \ldots

If the value of the series above equals to P P , evaluate P \lfloor P \rfloor .


You can try my other Sequences And Series problems by clicking here : Part II and here : Part I.


The answer is 15.

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3 solutions

Sandeep Bhardwaj
Oct 9, 2014

let's say T n T_{n} represents the n t h n^{th} term of the given series.

So, T n = 2 n 2 + n + 1 n ! \large{T_{n}=\frac{2n^{2}+n+1}{n!}}

T n = 2 n ( n 1 ) ! + 1 ( n 1 ) ! + 1 n ! \large{T_{n}=\frac{2n}{(n-1)!}+\frac{1}{(n-1)!}+\frac{1}{n!}}

T n = 2 ( n 2 ) ! + 3 ( n 1 ) ! + 1 n ! \large{T_{n}=\frac{2}{(n-2)!}+\frac{3}{(n-1)!}+\frac{1}{n!}}

let S S represents the sum of the series.

S = 2. n = 2 ( 1 ( n 2 ) ! ) + 3. n = 1 ( 1 ( n 1 ) ! ) + n = 1 ( 1 n ! ) \displaystyle S=2.\sum_{n=2}^\infty \left( \frac{1}{(n-2)!} \right)+3.\sum_{n=1}^\infty \left( \frac{1}{(n-1)!} \right)+\sum_{n=1}^\infty \left( \frac{1}{n!} \right)

S = 2 e + 3 e + e 1 = 6 e 1 \large{S=2e+3e+e-1=6e-1}

S = 15.3096 S=15.3096

therefore, S = 15 \large \lfloor S \rfloor =15

ENJOY!

Now, after reading that incredibly smart solution, it's time for the dumb solution.

4+5.5+3.6+(About) 1.5 (this is all in the head)+.4=15 ish... Now the terms after that get really small so I highly doubt it's 16. Therefore: answer 16

Trevor Arashiro - 6 years, 8 months ago

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but anyhow u r given 3 turns , u could have used 15 in the second attempt

prajwal kavad - 6 years, 5 months ago

whats after the 4th step??

A Former Brilliant Member - 6 years, 8 months ago

u should define [..] as "this means floor which denotes Greatest Integer value " or something like this . As I am poor at English at first I thought u meant Ceiling and typed 16 as an answer [was very confident abt the answer] but when I saw that my answer was wrong , I tried the problem in many ways but the answer was the same ........ though later I understood that u meant floor ....

Somoy Subandhu - 6 years, 8 months ago

LOL...Nice solution :D. I just found that after 15.3096...the other terms are infinitesmal...thus :P

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 8 months ago

How do you find the general term as you did in the first step? Is there a method, I would be grateful if you could expalin... @Sandeep Bhardwaj

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 8 months ago

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Clearly the denominator is n ! n! . And the nominator you see is a second order A.P. which is second degree equation in n...so we can say f ( n ) = a . n 2 + b . n + c f(n)=a.n^{2}+b.n+c . And f(1)=4 , f(2)=11, f(3)=22..three variables and three equations. So finding a,b and c will give u the general term.

Sandeep Bhardwaj - 6 years, 8 months ago

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Well.. thanks a lot...my question was only about the numerator. All I had managed to find was that the second set of differences was constant-4. Now , I have learnt that if it is so , it is a quadratic in the term. :D

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 8 months ago

Is there a good website that talks about heaviside on factorials?

Trevor Arashiro - 6 years, 8 months ago

The question is Wrong since there is no unique general term to the problem how can use decide that as f(n) as you suggest is a quadratic. I can suggest you another genral term.

Let f ( n ) = k ( n 1 ) ( n 2 ) ( n 3 ) ( n 4 ) ( n 5 ) + 2 n 2 + n + 1 f(n)=k(n-1)(n-2)(n-3)(n-4)(n-5)+2{n}^{2}+n+1 , k is a real number.

How use can you imply that general term is the one given by you or the one given by me. This question must suggest that general term is a second order A.P. .

Ronak Agarwal - 6 years, 8 months ago

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@Ronak Agarwal You can say this. But I posted the question in my set JEE-MATHS : Sequence And Series. And up to that level, it is well understood that the numerator is a second order A.P. by observing the given terms. So I there should be no issue on this question about JEE-level.

Sandeep Bhardwaj - 6 years, 8 months ago

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@Sandeep Bhardwaj In support of my comment, I would like to give you an example that it is taught to little children (studying in L.K.G. , say) (in case of subtraction) that we can't subtract a larger number from a smaller number. However, that is a wrong thing we are telling them, but it is good for them for the proper development of their skills without any confusion. Same thing is here. !

Sandeep Bhardwaj - 6 years, 8 months ago

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@Sandeep Bhardwaj In maths only rigourous argument work no such arguments work such as you should have guessed it, or like it is one of the common questions in mathematics. JEE maths doesn't mean rigourous argument doesn't apply. Also how can you gurantee about the further terms. This question is wrong and incomplete.

Ronak Agarwal - 6 years, 8 months ago

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@Ronak Agarwal Yeah , it is. Thanks ! I am trying to make it right. :)

Sandeep Bhardwaj - 6 years, 8 months ago

@Sandeep Bhardwaj Also if you believe the question is right, then you should change the title to "Guess the general term".

Ronak Agarwal - 6 years, 8 months ago

@Sandeep Bhardwaj by second order , do you imply the second set of differences outta be constant?.............

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 8 months ago

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@Krishna Ar Yeah , i mean the same. And if k t h k^{th} order difference is constant, then the general term is a polynomial equation of k k degree. And that also has a general formula for finding the general term.

Sandeep Bhardwaj - 6 years, 8 months ago

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@Sandeep Bhardwaj Ok... I get this.

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 8 months ago

I DIDN'T KNEW TO DO 3 rd step

Aakash Khandelwal - 6 years, 5 months ago

I have a doubt, actually two. First is how did you get the 3rd step i.e., 2/(n-2)! +..... and second one is why did you started from n=2 for the summation of 1/(n-2)! . I will be very grateful if you clear my doubt..

Vighnesh Raut - 6 years, 4 months ago

did the same!

Kartik Sharma - 6 years, 8 months ago
Deepanshu Gupta
Oct 12, 2014

Here we can easily Notice That Numerator has Second order difference Constant so it's general term is an polynomial of degree 2 2 . So By putting initial Value We can find it.

B u t But There is another w a y way to find g e n e r a l 'general t e r m term' .

Let N u m e r a t o r Numerator be:

S n = 4 + 11 + 22 + 37 + 56 . . . . . . . . . . . T n 1 + T n { S }_{ n }=\quad 4+11+22+37+56\quad ...........{ T }_{ n-1 }+{ T }_{ n } .

Now Using Difference Method shift every term by one step:

S n = 4 + 11 + 22 + 37 + 56 . . . . . . . . . . . T n 1 + T n ( 1 ) S n = 4 + 11 + 22 + 37 + 56 . . . . . . . . . . . T n 1 + T n ( 2 ) { S }_{ n }=\quad 4+11+22+37+56\quad ...........{ T }_{ n-1 }+{ T }_{ n }\quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \longrightarrow (1)\\ \\ { S }_{ n }=\quad \quad \quad \quad 4+11+22+37+56\quad ...........{ \quad T }_{ n-1 }\quad +\quad { T }_{ n }\quad \quad \longrightarrow (2) .

Now subtract the two equations and then we get:

0 = 4 + 7 + 11 + 15 + 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ( T n T n 1 ) T n 0=\quad 4+7+11+15+19\quad .......................({ T }_{ n }-{ T }_{ n-1 })\quad -{ \quad T }_{ n } .

This can be written as:

T n = 4 + 7 + 11 + 15 + 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ( T n T n 1 ) { \quad T }_{ n }=4+7+11+15+19\quad .......................({ T }_{ n }-{ T }_{ n-1 }) .

Now From S e c o n d Second t e r m term this sequence is an A P AP with n 1 'n-1' terms So:

T n = 4 + ( n 1 ) ( 14 + 4 ( n 2 ) ) 2 { T }_{ n }=\quad 4\quad +\quad \frac { (n-1)(14+4(n-2)) }{ 2 } .

T n = 2 n 2 + n + 1 { T }_{ n }=\quad 2{ n }^{ 2 }+n+1 .

For D e n o m i n a t o r Denominator general term is:

D n = n ! { D }_{ n }=\quad n! .

So P = 1 2 n 2 + n + 1 n ! P=\sum _{ 1 }^{ \infty }{ \frac { 2{ n }^{ 2 }+n+1 }{ n! } } .

Now for Further Calculation See nicely explain @Sandeep Bhardwaj 's Solution.

Gautam Sharma
Apr 17, 2015

Let's say T n T_{n} represents the n t h n^{th} term of the given series.

It is easily observed that T n = 4 + ( 7 + 11 + 15.....4 n + 3 ) ( n + 1 ) ! T_{n} =\frac{4+(7+11+15.....4n+3)}{(n+1)!} . Applying formula for ap with first and last term.

T n = 4 + n 2 ( 7 + 4 n + 3 ) ( n + 1 ) ! T_{n} =\frac{4+\frac{n}{2}(7+4n+3)}{(n+1)!} P = n = 0 2 n 2 + 5 n + 4 ( n + 1 ) ! \displaystyle P=\sum ^\infty _{n=0} \frac{2n^2+5n+4}{(n+1)!} P = n = 0 ( 2 n 2 + 2 n ) + ( 3 n + 3 ) + 1 ( n + 1 ) ! \displaystyle P=\sum ^\infty _{n=0} \frac{(2n^2+2n)+(3n+3)+1}{(n+1)!} P = n = 1 2 ( n 1 ) ! + n = 0 3 n ! + n = 0 1 ( n + 1 ) ! \displaystyle P=\sum ^\infty _{n=1} \frac{2}{(n-1)!} +\sum ^\infty _{n=0} \frac{3}{n!}+\sum ^\infty _{n=0} \frac {1}{(n+1)!}

P = 2 e + 3 e + e 1 = 6 e 1 P=2e+3e+e-1 =6e-1 P = 15.304 P=15.304

Its floor i.e 15 \boxed {15} is the required answer.

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