Infinite Products!

Calculus Level 3

For x > 1 x > 1 , define f ( x ) = n = 2 ( 1 1 n x ) \displaystyle f(x) = \prod_{n=2}^{\infty} \left(1 - \dfrac{1}{n^x}\right) .

Find the value of f ( 6 ) f 2 ( 3 ) \dfrac{f(6)}{f^2(3)} .


The answer is 1.5.

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1 solution

Ariel Gershon
Mar 18, 2015

After simplifying a little, we get the following: f ( 6 ) f 2 ( 3 ) = n = 2 n 6 1 n 6 n = 2 ( n 3 1 ) 2 n 6 = n = 2 n 6 1 ( n 3 1 ) 2 = n = 2 n 3 + 1 n 3 1 \frac{f(6)}{f^2(3)} = \frac{\prod_{n=2}^{\infty} \frac{n^6 - 1}{n^6}}{\prod_{n=2}^{\infty} \frac{(n^3 - 1)^2}{n^6}} =\prod_{n=2}^{\infty} \frac{n^6 - 1}{(n^3-1)^2} =\prod_{n=2}^{\infty} \frac{n^3 + 1}{n^3-1} = n = 2 ( n + 1 ) ( n 2 n + 1 ) ( n 1 ) ( n 2 + n + 1 ) = \prod_{n=2}^{\infty} \frac{(n+1)(n^2-n+1)}{(n-1)(n^2+n+1)} Now let's use partial products to help us figure this out. Let P m P_m represent the m t h m^{th} partial product for m 2 m \ge 2 : P m = n = 2 m ( n + 1 ) ( n 2 n + 1 ) ( n 1 ) ( n 2 + n + 1 ) = n = 2 m n + 1 n 1 n = 2 m ( n 1 ) 2 + ( n 1 ) + 1 n 2 + n + 1 P_m = \prod_{n=2}^{m} \frac{(n+1)(n^2-n+1)}{(n-1)(n^2+n+1)} = \prod_{n=2}^{m} \frac{n+1}{n-1} \prod_{n=2}^{m} \frac{(n-1)^2+(n-1)+1}{n^2+n+1} So now we have two telescoping products. It can be shown by induction that the first product is equal to m ( m + 1 ) 2 \dfrac{m(m+1)}{2} , and the second is equal to 3 m 2 + m + 1 \dfrac{3}{m^2+m+1} . Therefore, P m = m ( m + 1 ) 2 3 m 2 + m + 1 = 3 2 ( 1 1 m 2 + m + 1 ) P_m = \dfrac{m(m+1)}{2}\dfrac{3}{m^2+m+1} = \frac{3}{2}\left(1 - \dfrac{1}{m^2+m+1}\right) Therefore, as m m approaches infinity, this product approaches 3 2 \boxed{\dfrac{3}{2}}

Great problem, Ariel. Can you help me to understand the partial products section? I'm not totally understanding how you went from the one telescoping product to two. Thank you so much.

Scott Cambo - 4 years, 3 months ago

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Thanks!

Ok well, when you have a finite product, you can rearrange the terms however you like and still have the same answer. Consequently, we get the following identity about finite products: n = 2 m f ( n ) g ( n ) = n = 2 m f ( n ) n = 2 m g ( n ) \prod_{n=2}^{m} f(n)g(n) = \prod_{n=2}^{m} f(n) * \prod_{n=2}^{m} g(n) (for any functions f f and g g ). In this case, f ( n ) = n + 1 n 1 f(n) = \dfrac{n+1}{n-1} and g ( n ) = n 2 n + 1 n 2 + n + 1 g(n) = \dfrac{n^2-n+1}{n^2+n+1} .

When I split up the product, I skipped a step - in the second product, I rewrote n 2 n + 1 n^2 - n + 1 as ( n 1 ) 2 + ( n 1 ) + 1 (n-1)^2 + (n-1) + 1 . This is to demonstrate that the second product is also a telescoping product.

Does that help? :)

Ariel Gershon - 4 years, 3 months ago

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that's perfect. Thank you so much!

Scott Cambo - 4 years, 3 months ago

I interpreted the question, that the denominator was a cyclic function of order 2 and therefore was unable to solve it. I was suggest changing the location of the squared symbol to make it unambiguous.... see... https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/1861580/notation-of-the-square-or-other-power-of-a-function-fx

Darryl Stein - 1 year, 7 months ago

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