Terminating Decimals Sum

Level 2

Evaluate the sum of 1 k \frac{1}{k} over all positive integers k k with the property that the decimal representation of the reciprocal of k k terminates.


The answer is 2.5.

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1 solution

Jordan Cahn
Oct 30, 2018

Given an integer k k , the decimal representation of 1 k \frac{1}{k} terminates if and only if the only prime factors of k k are 2 2 and 5 5 .

Thus, we must compute m , n N 1 2 n 5 m = n = 0 m = 0 1 2 n 5 m = n = 0 1 2 n m = 0 1 5 m The inner sum is a geometric series! = n = 0 1 2 n 5 4 = 5 4 n = 0 1 2 n Another geometric series. = 5 4 2 = 5 2 = 2.5 \begin{aligned} \sum_{m,n\in\mathbb{N}} \frac{1}{2^n5^m} &= \sum_{n=0}^\infty \sum_{m=0}^\infty \frac{1}{2^n5^m} \\ &= \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{1}{2^n} \sum_{m=0}^\infty \frac{1}{5^m} && \color{#3D99F6} \text{The inner sum is a geometric series!} \\ &= \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{1}{2^n} \cdot \frac{5}{4} \\ &= \frac{5}{4} \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{1}{2^n} && \color{#3D99F6} \text{Another geometric series.} \\ &= \frac{5}{4}\cdot 2 \\ &= \frac{5}{2} = \boxed{2.5} \end{aligned}

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