Is the Derivative of a Sum always Convergent?

In summary, the conversation discusses the interchangeability of differentiation and summation in an infinite series. It is concluded that differentiation and summation can be interchanged if the sum converges uniformly. An example is given where the series converges but its derivative does not, and it is noted that this can also occur in the opposite scenario.
  • #1
donutmax
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0
Is the following correct?

[tex]\frac{d}{dt}\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{2^{n}t^{n}}{(n+1)!}=\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{d}{dt}\frac{2^{n}t^{n}}{(n+1)!}[/tex]
 
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  • #2
Is the derivative of a sum the sum of its derivatives?

Yes, I believe so.
 
  • #3
Yes. As long as the summation variable is different from the derifination variable.
 
  • #4
Usually we (meaning physicists or other applied mathematicians perhaps) don't worry too much about whether or not we can swap a derivative with an infinite sum. It doesn't always work, though, so if you really want to be careful you should check for uniform convergence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_convergence#to_Differentiability
 
  • #5
flatmaster said:
Yes. As long as the summation variable is different from the derifination variable.
derifination? :smile:
 
  • #6
As Mute said, we can differentiate (or integrate) an infinite sum "term by term" as long as the convergence is uniform. Fortunately, that is a power series and power series always converge uniformly inside their radius of convergence.

This particular example has infinite radius of convergence so it can be differentiated "term by term" for all x.
 
  • #7
Dear friends,

What i understood from the previous threads is that if the summation converges summation and differentiation can be interchangeable. Here i assume that summation and differentiation variables are different.


But my doubts are
1. Is it an iff statement?. That is differentiation and summation are interchangeable iff the summation converges.

2.Here my summation is attachment1 . This diverges.
But i suspect that (due to some reasons) attachment2 do not diverge(It would be a function dependant on N after substituting value for x, which is a natural no >=2).

Any sensible suggestions would be really helpful :)
 

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  • #8
bincy said:
Dear friends,

What i understood from the previous threads is that if the summation converges summation and differentiation can be interchangeable.
Do you? Several of the responses told you that is NOT true. I, for example, told you that the differerentiation and summation can be interchanged if the sum converges uniformly. That is a stronger requirement than just saying "converges".

Here i assume that summation and differentiation variables are different.But my doubts are
1. Is it an iff statement?. That is differentiation and summation are interchangeable iff the summation converges.
If and only if the sum converges uniformly

2.Here my summation is attachment1 . This diverges.
But i suspect that (due to some reasons) attachment2 do not diverge(It would be a function dependant on N after substituting value for x, which is a natural no >=2).

Any sensible suggestions would be really helpful :)
 
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  • #9
An example of where differentiation can fail is
[tex] ln(1-x)=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{x^n}{n}[/tex]

At x=-1 this sum converges (to ln(2)) but if we try to differentiate we get
[tex] \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} x^n [/tex]
and this sum diverges at x=-1, even though the power series is right differentiable at that point
 
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  • #10
Good example, Office Shredder! As I said before, a power series converges uniformly, and so is differentiable, inside its radius of convergence. Here, -1 is one endpoint of the interval of convergence, not inside it.
 
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  • #11
Thanks.

To Office_Shredder:Your example was really helpful. There a series was converging but its derivative is not. In my case i suspect derivative is converging but series is not.
 

1. What is the general formula for finding the derivative of a sum?

The general formula for finding the derivative of a sum is the sum of the derivatives of each term. In other words, if f(x) and g(x) are two differentiable functions, then the derivative of their sum (f(x) + g(x)) is equal to the sum of their individual derivatives (f'(x) + g'(x)). This is known as the "sum rule" of derivatives.

2. Can the derivative of a sum be simplified or combined further?

Yes, the derivative of a sum can often be simplified or combined further using algebraic techniques. For example, if the sum contains terms that are constant multiples of each other, the constant can be factored out and combined with the derivative. Additionally, if the sum contains terms that can be combined or simplified, this can be done before taking the derivative.

3. Does the order of the terms in a sum affect the derivative?

No, the order of the terms in a sum does not affect the derivative. This is because the derivative is a linear operator, meaning it follows the rules of linearity. In other words, the derivative of a sum is the same regardless of the order of the terms, as long as the terms are the same.

4. Are there any special cases when finding the derivative of a sum?

Yes, there are some special cases when finding the derivative of a sum. For example, if the sum contains a constant term, the derivative of the constant term will be 0. Additionally, if the sum contains a term raised to a power, the power rule can be applied to that specific term.

5. Can the derivative of a sum be used in real-world applications?

Yes, the derivative of a sum is used in many real-world applications, particularly in mathematics, physics, and engineering. It is often used to find the rate of change or the slope of a curve, which is important in many fields such as economics, biology, and chemistry. Additionally, it is used in optimization problems to find the maximum or minimum value of a function.

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