Fourier series--showing converges to pi/16

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around evaluating a Fourier series that includes both sine and sinh terms, with the aim of demonstrating its convergence to \(\frac{\pi}{16}\). The focus is on the mathematical techniques and transformations that can be applied to analyze the series.

Discussion Character

  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses uncertainty about evaluating a Fourier series that includes sinh, presenting the series and its proposed limit of \(\frac{\pi}{16}\).
  • Another participant suggests using the identity \(\text{sinh}(x) = -i \sin(ix)\) as a potential method for evaluation.
  • A subsequent post reiterates the use of the sinh identity and presents a transformed series involving sine and sinh, but notes potential difficulties in summing it.
  • One participant points out that the sine function simplifies to \((-1)^{n-1}\) and proposes rewriting the series using the identity \(\sinh(2x) = 2\sinh x\cosh x\), leading to a new form that appears less complicated.
  • This participant observes that the new series converges quickly due to the growth of the cosh term in the denominator, but emphasizes that numerical checks do not constitute a proof.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various methods and transformations for evaluating the series, but there is no consensus on a definitive approach or proof of convergence to \(\frac{\pi}{16}\). The discussion remains unresolved regarding the evaluation of the series.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in the evaluation process, including unresolved mathematical steps and the dependence on specific identities and transformations. The convergence observed numerically does not provide a formal proof.

Dustinsfl
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When a Fourier series contains only sine and cosine terms, evaluating the series isn't too difficult.

However, I want to show a Fourier series with sine and sinh converges to \(\frac{\pi}{16}\).
\[
T(50, 50) = \sum_{n = 1}^{\infty}
\frac{\sin\left(\frac{\pi(2n - 1)}{2}\right)
\sinh\left(\frac{\pi(2n - 1)}{2}\right)}
{(2n - 1)\sinh[(2n - 1)\pi]} = \frac{\pi}{16}
\]
Since this series contains sinh, I am not sure how to evaluate it.
 
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My thought: use

$\text{sinh}(x) = -i \sin(ix)$
 
Deveno said:
My thought: use

$\text{sinh}(x) = -i \sin(ix)$

I think I will still have some trouble though. I end up with:
\[
\sum_{n = 1}^{\infty}\frac{(-1)^{n+1}}{2n - 1}\frac{\sin\left[\frac{i\pi}{2}(2n-1)\right]}{\sin\left[i\pi(2n-1)\right]}
\]
 
dwsmith said:
When a Fourier series contains only sine and cosine terms, evaluating the series isn't too difficult.

However, I want to show a Fourier series with sine and sinh converges to \(\frac{\pi}{16}\).
\[
T(50, 50) = \sum_{n = 1}^{\infty}
\frac{\sin\left(\frac{\pi(2n - 1)}{2}\right)
\sinh\left(\frac{\pi(2n - 1)}{2}\right)}
{(2n - 1)\sinh[(2n - 1)\pi]} = \frac{\pi}{16}
\]
Since this series contains sinh, I am not sure how to evaluate it.
The sin function isn't really there at all, because $\sin\left(\frac{\pi(2n - 1)}{2}\right) = \sin\left(\bigl(n-\frac12\bigr)\pi\right) = (-1)^{n-1}$. Also, you can use the identity $\sinh(2x) = 2\sinh x\cosh x$, to rewrite the sum as $$\sum_{n = 1}^{\infty}\frac{(-1)^n}{2(2n-1)\cosh\left(\bigl(n-\frac12\bigr)\pi\right)}.$$ That looks a bit less complicated than the original series, but I still don't see how to sum it. It clearly converges very fast, because the cosh term in the denominator will get very large after the first few terms. A numerical check shows that the sum of the first three terms is $0.1968518...$, which is very close to $\pi/16$. But that isn't a proof!
 

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