Sequence And Series,is It?

Calculus Level 5

If The Value Of

n = 0 ( 1 3 n + 1 1 3 n + 2 ) \displaystyle \sum^{\infty}_{n=0}(\dfrac{1}{3n+1}-\dfrac{1}{3n+2}) = γ \gamma

Then Find 1 0 4 γ \lfloor10^4 \gamma\rfloor .

Details \textbf{Details}

\lfloor \bullet\rfloor Is the Greatest Integer Function


The answer is 6045.

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1 solution

Note first that 1 3 n + a = 0 1 x 3 n + a 1 d x \dfrac{1}{3n + a} = \displaystyle\int_{0}^{1} x^{3n + a - 1} dx for integers n 0 , a 1. n \ge 0, a \ge 1.

Looking then at a partial sum, we have that

n = 0 m ( 1 3 n + 1 1 3 n + 2 ) = n = 0 m 0 1 ( x 3 n x 3 n + 1 ) d x = 0 1 n = 0 m ( x 3 n x 3 n + 1 ) d x , \displaystyle\sum_{n=0}^{m} (\dfrac{1}{3n + 1} - \dfrac{1}{3n + 2}) = \sum_{n=0}^{m} \int_{0}^{1} (x^{3n} - x^{3n + 1}) dx = \int_{0}^{1} \sum_{n=0}^{m} (x^{3n} - x^{3n + 1}) dx,

where the exchange of summation and integral signs is valid since we have convergence for x 1. |x| \le 1. Now for x < 1 |x| \lt 1 we have that

n = 0 m ( x 3 n x 3 n + 1 ) = n = 0 m x 3 n ( 1 x ) = 1 x 3 m + 1 1 x 3 ( 1 x ) = 1 x 3 m + 1 1 + x + x 2 , \displaystyle\sum_{n=0}^{m}(x^{3n} - x^{3n + 1}) = \sum_{n=0}^{m} x^{3n}(1 - x) = \dfrac{1 - x^{3m+1}}{1 - x^{3}}*(1 - x) = \dfrac{1 - x^{3m + 1}}{1 + x + x^{2}},

so our integral now becomes 0 1 1 x 3 m + 1 1 + x + x 2 d x \displaystyle\int_{0}^{1} \dfrac{1 - x^{3m + 1}}{1 + x + x^{2}} dx ,

which goes to 0 1 1 1 + x + x 2 d x \displaystyle\int_{0}^{1} \dfrac{1}{1 + x + x^{2}} dx as m . m \rightarrow \infty.

(I'm getting a bit fast and loose with endpoint behavior as x 1 x \rightarrow 1 and with eliminating the dominated x 3 m + 1 x^{3m + 1} term from the integral so casually, but this solution is getting long enough as it is, so.....)

This integral can then be solved by trig substitution. Since x 2 + x + 1 = ( x + 1 2 ) 2 1 4 + 1 = ( x + 1 2 ) 2 + ( 3 2 ) 2 x^{2} + x + 1 = (x + \frac{1}{2})^{2} - \frac{1}{4} + 1 = (x + \frac{1}{2})^{2} + (\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2})^{2} , we let

x + 1 2 = 3 2 tan ( θ ) d x = 3 2 sec 2 ( θ ) x + \frac{1}{2} = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\tan(\theta) \Longrightarrow dx = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\sec^{2}(\theta) ,

transforming the (indefinite) integral to

3 2 sec 2 ( θ ) 3 4 sec 2 ( θ ) d θ = 2 3 θ = 2 3 tan 1 ( 2 x + 1 3 ) , \displaystyle\int \dfrac{\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\sec^{2}(\theta)}{\frac{3}{4}\sec^{2}(\theta)} d\theta = \dfrac{2}{\sqrt{3}}\theta = \dfrac{2}{\sqrt{3}}\tan^{-1}(\frac{2x + 1}{\sqrt{3}}),

which, when evaluated from x = 0 x = 0 to x = 1 x = 1 gives us

2 3 ( tan 1 ( 3 ) tan 1 ( 1 3 ) ) = 2 3 ( π 3 π 6 ) = π 3 3 = 0.604599788.... \dfrac{2}{\sqrt{3}}(\tan^{-1}(\sqrt{3}) - \tan^{-1}(\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{3}})) = \dfrac{2}{\sqrt{3}}(\dfrac{\pi}{3} - \dfrac{\pi}{6}) = \dfrac{\pi}{3\sqrt{3}} = 0.604599788....

So 10000 γ = 6045 \lfloor 10000*\gamma \rfloor = \boxed{6045} .

Perfect Solution.+1

Vraj Mehta - 6 years, 3 months ago

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Thanks. Good problem; it was harder than I first thought it was going to be. :)

Brian Charlesworth - 6 years, 3 months ago

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Looking At the Series I Thought It might Be a 2-3 Min Task,But Took Longer Than that.

Vraj Mehta - 6 years, 3 months ago

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@Vraj Mehta Yes, a lot longer. :) This method can be used for sums of the form

n = 0 ( 1 a n + 1 1 a n + 2 ) \displaystyle\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} (\dfrac{1}{an + 1} - \dfrac{1}{an + 2})

for any positive integer a . a. We will end up needing to solve the integral

0 1 1 1 + x + x 2 + . . . + x a 1 d x . \displaystyle\int_{0}^{1} \dfrac{1}{1 + x + x^{2} + ... + x^{a-1}} dx.

For a = 1 a = 1 we get a solution of 1 1 , and for a = 2 a = 2 we get a solution of

0 1 1 1 + x d x = ln ( 2 ) . \displaystyle\int_{0}^{1} \dfrac{1}{1 + x} dx = \ln(2). (This is the alternating harmonic series.)

For a = 4 a = 4 we get the integral

0 1 1 1 + x + x 2 + x 3 d x = 0 1 1 ( x + 1 ) ( x 2 + 1 ) d x \displaystyle\int_{0}^{1} \dfrac{1}{1 + x + x^{2} + x^{3}} dx = \int_{0}^{1} \dfrac{1}{(x + 1)(x^{2} + 1)} dx ,

which could then be solved using partial fractions. The integrals get much more difficult for a 5 a \ge 5 , however.

Brian Charlesworth - 6 years, 3 months ago

Sir, how did you get the idea of starting with the integral ?

this one : 1 3 n + a = 0 1 x 3 n + a 1 d x \dfrac{1}{3n + a} = \displaystyle\int_{0}^{1} x^{3n + a - 1} dx .

Rest of the solution will be clear to me if I understand this one thing , thanks .

Uchiha Robert - 6 years, 3 months ago

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Well, I wanted to transform the problem into one involving power series, (as they are often easier to work with), and this was my way of doing that. It's quite common to employ integrals to evaluate infinite series, and this is one of the 'tricks' one can use to effect that transformation.

Brian Charlesworth - 6 years, 3 months ago

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Sir, if your choice for the integral comes from creativity and experience, then there is no way I can learn such tricks now, but if there is some source from where you learn and practice(or have practiced) , can you please share it with us ?

Uchiha Robert - 6 years, 3 months ago

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@Uchiha Robert I think that for me it has more to do with experience than creativity. :) I tried googling "solving infinite series using integrals" and didn't find anything useful, (clicking onto one site completely froze my computer, forcing me to reboot), so I guess the best approach is to find problems like this on Brilliant and see how others solve them. There is also this wiki , which has some useful tips, (though not the one involving integrals).

Brian Charlesworth - 6 years, 3 months ago

It involves creativity and experience

Figel Ilham - 6 years, 3 months ago

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It's not surprising that this question has been asked before. I'm thinking of posting a problem where the denominators are ( 4 n + 1 ) (4n + 1) and ( 4 n + 2 ) (4n + 2) . Do you know if that version has been posted before? Or perhaps try denominators like ( 3 n + 2 ) (3n + 2) and ( 3 n + 5 ) (3n + 5) ; the same method would be used, but the resulting integrals would be different, (and probably harder to solve).

Brian Charlesworth - 6 years, 3 months ago

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