Inverse Sum

Algebra Level 2

n = 1 ( k = 0 n k ) 1 = ? \large\displaystyle\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \left({\displaystyle\sum_{k=0}^nk} \right)^{-1} =\ ?

Give your answer to 3 decimal places.


See Also Inverse Sum Squared and Inverse Sum Cubed .


The answer is 2.000.

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3 solutions

Chew-Seong Cheong
Sep 18, 2015

n = 1 1 k = 0 n k = n = 1 1 1 2 n ( n + 1 ) = n = 1 2 n ( n + 1 ) = 2 n = 1 ( 1 n 1 n + 1 ) = 2 ( n = 1 1 n n = 1 1 n + 1 ) = 2 ( n = 1 1 n n = 2 1 n ) = 2 ( 1 1 ) = 2 \begin{aligned} \sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{\sum_{k=0}^n k} & = \sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{\frac{1}{2}n(n+1)} \\ & = \sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{2}{n(n+1)} \\ & = 2 \sum_{n=1}^\infty \left( \frac{1}{n} - \frac{1}{n+1} \right) \\ & = 2 \left( \sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{n} - \sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{n+1} \right) \\ & = 2 \left( \sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{n} - \sum_{n=2}^\infty \frac{1}{n} \right) \\ & = 2 \left(\frac{1}{1} \right) \\ & = \boxed{2} \end{aligned}

Sir, how did you solve the first Summation. I can't understand.

Vishal Yadav - 5 years, 8 months ago

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k = 0 n k = k = 1 n k = n ( n + 1 ) 2 \displaystyle \sum_{k=0}^n k = \sum_{k=1}^n k = \dfrac{n(n+1)}{2} . This is the summation of AP -- arithmetic progression. Read more here .

Chew-Seong Cheong - 5 years, 8 months ago
Kshitij Goel
Sep 16, 2015

Consider this as the symbol of sigma(£)
£{1÷(1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10+11+...+n)}
£{1÷n(n+1)÷2}
£{2÷n (n+1)}
2[(1÷1
2)+(1÷2 3)+(1÷3 4)+......]
2[{1-(1÷2)}+(1÷2)-(1÷3)+(1÷3)-(1÷4)......+1÷infinity]
2[1+{1÷infinity}]
And limit of 1÷infinity. Is zero
So 2[1+0]
=2


Sorry but I didn't get it. Will you please explain again?

Prathmesh Choudhari - 5 years, 9 months ago
Kushagra Sahni
Sep 17, 2015

Why does the question ask for 3 decimal places when the answer is an integer?

So that the answerer has no clue that it's an integer.

Chew-Seong Cheong - 5 years, 8 months ago

The answer will be 2.000

Kshitij Goel - 5 years, 8 months ago

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Why not simply 2?

Kushagra Sahni - 5 years, 8 months ago

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