Questions tagged [sequences-and-series]
For questions concerning sequences and series. Typical questions concern, but are not limited to: identifying sequences, identifying terms, recurrence relations, $\epsilon-N$ proofs of convergence, convergence tests, finding closed forms for sums. For questions on finite sums, use the (summation) tag instead.
65,955
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What is an example of a sequence which "thins out" and is finite?
When I talk about my research with non-mathematicians who are, however, interested in what I do, I always start by asking them basic questions about the primes. Usually, they start getting reeled in ...
81
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2
answers
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Visual proof of $\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{n^4} = \frac{\pi^4}{90}$?
In his gorgeous paper "How to compute $\sum \frac{1}{n^2}$ by solving triangles", Mikael Passare offers this idea for proving $\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{n^2} = \frac{\pi^2}{6}$:
Proof of equality ...
80
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12
answers
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The limit of truncated sums of harmonic series, $\lim\limits_{k\to\infty}\sum_{n=k+1}^{2k}{\frac{1}{n}}$
What is the sum of the 'second half' of the harmonic series?
$$\lim_{k\to\infty}\sum\limits_{n=k+1}^{2k}{\frac{1}{n}} =~ ?$$
More precisely, what is the limit of the above sequence of partial sums?
80
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8
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How to prove this identity $\pi=\sum\limits_{k=-\infty}^{\infty}\left(\frac{\sin(k)}{k}\right)^{2}\;$?
How to prove this identity? $$\pi=\sum_{k=-\infty}^{\infty}\left(\dfrac{\sin(k)}{k}\right)^{2}\;$$
I found the above interesting identity in the book $\bf \pi$ Unleashed.
Does anyone knows how to ...
78
votes
6
answers
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Is there a slowest rate of divergence of a series?
$$f(n)=\sum_{i=1}^n\frac{1}{i}$$
diverges slower than
$$g(n)=\sum_{i=1}^n\frac{1}{\sqrt{i}}$$
, by which I mean $\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty}(g(n)-f(n))=\infty$. Similarly, $\ln(n)$ diverges as fast as $...
78
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5
answers
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Help me solve my father's riddle and get my book back
My father is a mathteacher and as such he regards asking tricky questions and playing mathematical pranks on me once in a while as part of his parental duty.
So today before leaving home he sneaked ...
76
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4
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$\sum k! = 1! +2! +3! + \cdots + n!$ ,is there a generic formula for this?
I came across a question where I needed to find the sum of the factorials of the first $n$ numbers. So I was wondering if there is any generic formula for this?
Like there is a generic formula for the ...
76
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4
answers
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"Closed" form for $\sum \frac{1}{n^n}$
Earlier today, I was talking with my friend about some "cool" infinite series and the value they converge to like the Basel problem, Madhava-Leibniz formula for $\pi/4, \log 2$ and similar alternating ...
73
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6
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$1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 \ldots = -1$ paradox
I puzzled two high school Pre-calc math teachers today with a little proof (maybe not) I found a couple years ago that infinity is equal to -1:
Let x equal the geometric series: $1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 \...
69
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5
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Does every prime divide some Fibonacci number?
I am tring to show that $\forall a \in \Bbb P\; \exists n\in\Bbb N : a|F_n$, where $F$ is the fibonacci sequence defined as $\{F_n\}:F_0 = 0, F_1 = 1, F_n = F_{n-1} + F_{n-2}$ $(n=2,3,...)$. How can ...
68
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1
answer
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Evaluating $\sum\limits_{x=2}^\infty \frac{1}{!x}$ in exact form.
Introduction:
We know that:
$$\sum_{x=0}^\infty \frac{1}{x!}=e$$
But what if we replaced $x!$ with $!x$ also called the subfactorial function also called the $x$th derangement number? This ...
67
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6
answers
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$n$th derivative of $e^{1/x}$
I am trying to find the $n$'th derivative of $f(x)=e^{1/x}$. When looking at the first few derivatives I noticed a pattern and eventually found the following formula
$$\frac{\mathrm d^n}{\mathrm dx^n}...
67
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4
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Does the series $ \sum\limits_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{1 + |\sin(n)|}} $ converge or diverge?
Does the following series converge or diverge? I would like to see a demonstration.
$$
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{1 + |\sin(n)|}}.
$$
I can see that:
$$
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{1 + |\...
67
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1
answer
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How to prove this recurrence relation for generalized "rounding up to $\pi$"?
The webpage Rounding Up To $\pi$ defines a certain "rounding up" function by an extremely simple procedure:
Beginning with any positive integer $n$, round up to the nearest multiple of $n-1$...
66
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18
answers
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Is there a simple function that generates the series; $1,1,2,1,1,2,1,1,2...$ or $-1,-1,1,-1,-1,1...$ [closed]
I'm thinking about this question in the sense that we often have a term $(-1)^n$ for an integer $n$, so that we get a sequence $1,-1,1,-1...$ but I'm trying to find an expression that only gives every ...