Algorithms for infinite geometric series via long division?

In summary, the person is asking about how to find the 23rd term of an infinite geometric series. The person is confused about how to do long division and is wondering if anyone knows a simpler way.
  • #1
AdkinsJr
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Algorithms for infinite geometric series via long division??

I can't seem to find any algorithms for this on the internet easily.

If I have a function of the form [tex]f(x)=\frac{a}{x+b}[/tex] there should be an algorithm I can use to find some terms of the corresponding series [tex]\sum _{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{a}{b}\left(\frac{-x}{b}\right)^n[/tex]

I can't seem to comprehend how to carry out the division for something like that; obviously it's not absolutely necessary if you know how to find the series using long division, but saw this worked out before and couldn't make sense of it. How does it work?
 
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  • #2


AdkinsJr said:
I can't seem to find any algorithms for this on the internet easily.

If I have a function of the form [tex]f(x)=\frac{a}{x+b}[/tex] there should be an algorithm I can use to find some terms of the corresponding series [tex]\sum _{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{a}{b}\left(\frac{-x}{b}\right)^n[/tex]

I can't seem to comprehend how to carry out the division for something like that; obviously it's not absolutely necessary if you know how to find the series using long division, but saw this worked out before and couldn't make sense of it. How does it work?

I'm not sure I understand what you want: you already have the infinite series for your function, at least when $$\,\left|\frac{x}{b}\right|<1\Longleftrightarrow |x|<|b|$$
What else do you want?? You want the 23rd term, for ex.? Piece of cake: it is $$\,-\frac{a}{b}\frac{x^{23}}{b^{23}}=-\frac{ax^{23}}{b^{24}}$$

DonAntonio
 
  • #3


DonAntonio said:
I'm not sure I understand what you want: you already have the infinite series for your function, at least when $$\,\left|\frac{x}{b}\right|<1\Longleftrightarrow |x|<|b|$$
What else do you want?? You want the 23rd term, for ex.? Piece of cake: it is $$\,-\frac{a}{b}\frac{x^{23}}{b^{23}}=-\frac{ax^{23}}{b^{24}}$$

DonAntonio

Yes, I understand how to obtain terms from the infinite series using that theorem/ sum formula. HOwever, there is an alternative procedure using long division.

My question arises from this:



Around 1:00 there's an expression under the integrand containing [tex]\frac{1}{1-\frac{x^2}{4}+\frac{5x^4}{192}-\frac{7x^6}{4608}+...}[/tex]

You can see he inverts it in the next integral but I can't follow the long division that would be involved in that.

I thought I'd ask about a simple case of a geometric series from [tex]\frac{a}{x+b}[/tex] since it's similar in principle with the higher order terms in the denominator. I just find the long division confusing and I can't work it out.

I also thought it was interesting because I read in my calc text that you can find the geometric series using long division, but I don't understand the procedure.
 
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Related to Algorithms for infinite geometric series via long division?

1. What is an infinite geometric series?

An infinite geometric series is a mathematical sequence of numbers that has a starting value and a common ratio between each consecutive term. The series continues infinitely, with each term being a multiple of the previous one.

2. How is long division used to find the sum of an infinite geometric series?

Long division is used to find the sum of an infinite geometric series by dividing the first term by the common ratio. This result is then multiplied by the common ratio raised to the power of one less than the number of terms in the series. This process is repeated until the sum converges to a finite value.

3. What is the formula for finding the sum of an infinite geometric series using long division?

The formula for finding the sum of an infinite geometric series using long division is: S = a / (1 - r), where S is the sum, a is the first term, and r is the common ratio.

4. Can long division be used to find the sum of any infinite geometric series?

Yes, long division can be used to find the sum of any infinite geometric series as long as the common ratio is constant and less than 1 in absolute value. If the common ratio is greater than 1, the series will diverge and the sum will be infinite.

5. What are some real-life applications of algorithms for infinite geometric series via long division?

Algorithms for infinite geometric series via long division are used in various fields such as finance, engineering, and computer science. For example, in finance, these algorithms are used to calculate compound interest and in computer science, they are used in data compression algorithms.

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