Infinite factorial summation without the factorial

Calculus Level 5

1 ( 3 1 ) 1 3 + ( 4 2 ) 1 9 ( 5 3 ) 1 27 + \large 1 - \dbinom31 \frac13 + \dbinom42\frac19 -\dbinom53\frac1{27}+\ldots

If the above summation is equal to S S , evaluate 100 × S 3 100\times \sqrt[3]S .

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The answer is 75.

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1 solution

Its just the binomial expansion of (1-x)^ -3 ..where x= -1/3.

Therefore S= (1+1/3)^-3 = (4/3)^-3 = (3/4)^3

So the required evaluation is 100 * (3/4 ) = 75 .

It'd be better if gave a proof of that. The proof is simple though.

k = 0 ( k + 2 k ) x k = k = 0 ( k + 2 2 ) x k = k = 0 1 2 ! ( k + 2 ) ( k + 1 ) x k \sum_{k=0}^\infty\binom{k+2}{k}x^k=\sum_{k=0}^\infty\binom{k+2}{2}x^k=\sum_{k=0}^\infty\frac{1}{2!}(k+2)(k+1)x^k

Differentiating twice the identity stated below w.r.t x x gives us the closed form for the sum above.

k = 0 x k + 2 = 1 1 x x 1 x : 0 < x < 1 \sum_{k=0}^\infty x^{k+2}=\frac{1}{1-x}-x-1\quad\forall~x:0\lt |x|\lt 1


The problem posed is the sum stated at the top of this comment with x = ( 1 3 ) x=\left(-\frac 13\right) which satisfies the convergence condition as 0 < 1 3 = 1 3 < 1 0\lt \left|-\frac 13\right|=\frac 13\lt 1 .

Prasun Biswas - 5 years, 11 months ago

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Yeah..Thanks for the proof.

Abhishek Chakraborty - 5 years, 11 months ago

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