Concrete mathematics: Computing the value of certain infinite sums example. sum_{k >= 0} (1)/((k+1)(k+2))

teevaituinomakw

teevaituinomakw

Answered question

2022-09-06

Concrete mathematics: Computing the value of certain infinite sums example
In Concrete Mathematics (Graham, Knuth, Patashnik), on page 58, there is the below example of calculating the value of an infinite sum:
k 0 1 ( k + 1 ) ( k + 2 ) = k 0 k 2 _ = lim n k = 0 n k 2 = lim n k 1 _ 1 | 0 n = 1
For that last part I don't understand how it is 1 and not -1. To start with, at 0, the summation property gives us 0:
0 1 _ 1 = 0 0 + 1 1 = 0
Then 1 is
1 1 _ 1 = 1 1 + 1 1 = 1 2
and 2 is
2 1 _ 1 = 1 2 + 1 1 = 1 3
And so on tending towards -1 for larger n. As I understand it (the subtraction vertical bar notation) if n is, say, 2 (a long way from infinity to be sure) then we'd get 1 3 0 = 1 3 . And so on getting closer to -1 as best I can tell.

Answer & Explanation

rougertl

rougertl

Beginner2022-09-07Added 16 answers

Step 1
You're missing a negative sign. The vertical bar notation
f ( k ) | 0 n
means: evaluate f(k) at k = n and k = 0, and subtract the two, obtaining
f ( n ) f ( 0 ) .
Step 2
Using this convention, you get
k 1 _ 1 | 0 n = n 1 _ 1 0 1 _ 1 = 1 n + 1 ( 1 ) .
The first term tends to 0 as n . As for the second term, the two negative signs combine to give +1.

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