To prove (1)
$$\sum_{i=1}^n \dfrac {i}{2^i} <2$$
Someone shows that (2)
$$\sum_{i=1}^n \dfrac {i}{2^i} = 2-\dfrac{n+2}{2^n}$$
so we can prove (1).
Can anyone guide me how from (1) they come up with (2) please ? On what base they find (2) ?
Asked
Active
Viewed 290 times
0
-
1What is $2_i$ ??? If it was meant $2^ i$, then search MSE, e.g., here. – Dietrich Burde Aug 14 '17 at 15:29
-
I assume your $2_i$ should be $2^i$. Work out the value of (2) for $n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5$ and guess the pattern. – Ethan Bolker Aug 14 '17 at 15:30
-
@ Dietrich Burde it's 2^i – xuoimai Aug 14 '17 at 15:31
-
To answer the first question, finding the closed form solution for the LHS would be one of the simplest approaches to the problem if it's possible. – Shuri2060 Aug 14 '17 at 16:14
4 Answers
1
$$S:=\sum_{i=1}^n\frac{i}{2^i}=\sum_{i=1}^n\frac{i-1}{2^i}+\sum_{i=1}^n\frac1{2^i}=\frac12\sum_{i=1}^n\frac{i-1}{2^{i-1}}+\frac{\dfrac12-\dfrac1{2^{n+1}}}{\dfrac12}\\ =\frac12\left(S-\frac{n-1}{2^n}\right)+1-\frac1{2^n}.$$
1
First, we observe the trivial equality $i=\sum_{j=1}^i (1)$. Using this, we can write
$$\begin{align} \sum_{i=1}^n \frac{i}{2^i}&=\sum_{i=1}^n \frac{\sum_{j=1}^i (1)}{2^i}\\\\ &=\sum_{i=1}^n \sum_{j=1}^i \frac{1}{2^i}\\\\ &=\sum_{j=1}^n \sum_{i=j}^n \frac{1}{2^i}\\\\ &=\sum_{j=1}^n \left(\frac{(1/2)^j-(1/2)^{n+1}}{1-1/2}\right)\\\\ &=2\sum_{j=1}^n (1/2)^j -2\sum_{j=1}^n(1/2)^{n+1}\\\\ &=2\left(\frac{(1/2)-(1/2)^{n+1}}{1-1/2}\right)-n(1/2)^n\\\\ &=2-(1/2)^n(n+2) \end{align}$$
as was to be shown!
Mark Viola
- 179,405
1
$$\begin{align} S &=\sum_{i=1}^n \frac i{2^i} &&=\quad\frac 1{2^1}+\frac 2{2^2}+\frac 3{2^3}+\frac 4{2^4}+\cdots+\frac {n-1}{2^{n-1}}+\frac n{2^n}\tag{1}\\ 2S &= &&\frac 1{2^0}+\frac 2{2^1}+\frac 3{2^2}+\frac 4{2^3}+\frac 5{2^4}+\cdots +\frac n{2^{n-1}}\tag{2}\\ (2)-(1):\hspace{3cm}\\ S &= &&\underbrace{\frac 1{2^0}+\frac 1{2^1}+\frac 1{2^2}+\frac 1{2^3}+\frac 1{2^4}+\cdots+\frac 1{2^{n-1}}}_{\text {GP: }\ \ a=1,\ \ r=\frac 12}-\frac n{2^n}\\ &= &&\frac {\;\;1-\left(\frac 12\right)^n}{1-\frac 12}-\frac n{2^n}\\ &= &&\color{red}{2-\frac {n+2}{2^n}} \end{align}$$
Hypergeometricx
- 22,657
0
Let $A=\sum_{k=1}^n \frac i {2^j}$. If you want to prove that $A<2$, this approach is natural: (i) you try to evaluate your sum; (ii) you take the difference from 2, and hope it is positive. In this case is a neat $\frac {n+2}{2^n}$, so it is good.
(Aside:) That the denominator is $2^n$, is clear. The real computation is the numerator. But you can convince yourself it is a linear polynomial, from the rate of convergence of the series $\sum_{j=1}^\infty \frac j {2^j}$.
(Extra:) I know it is not required in your question to prove (2), but for completeness I write up my favourite way of doing it. Consider the polynomial $1+x+\ldots+x^n=\frac {x^{n+1}-1}{x-1}$. Take the derivative: $$1+2x+\ldots +nx^{n-1}=\frac{(n+1)x^n(x-1)-(x^{n+1}-1)}{(x-1)^2}.$$ Plug in $x=\frac 1 2$, multiply all by $\frac 1 2$, and you have it. Do you see how does the linear term $n$ appear in the numerator? Whereas the main term $2=\frac 1 2 \frac {1}{(x-1)^2}$ is there because the other terms, that contain $x^n$, are typically very small, so they contribute to the "error term".
Luca Ghidelli
- 1,337