How Do You Calculate the Inverse of the Square of a Summation Series?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chingon
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Inverse
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around expanding the expression 1/y(x)², where y(x) is defined as x^(1/2) multiplied by a summation series involving alternating coefficients and factorials. Participants are exploring the nature of the coefficients in the expansion and how they relate to the original series.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the expansion of y(x) and its square, noting the appearance of coefficients and questioning why certain coefficients seem to vanish in the inverse squared expression. There is mention of using computational tools like Wolfram Alpha and Maple to assist in finding expansions and coefficients.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided insights into the series expansion and its relationship to known functions, such as the modified Bessel function. There is an ongoing exploration of the implications of these representations, but no consensus has been reached regarding the expansion of 1/y(x)².

Contextual Notes

Participants are operating under the constraints of homework rules, which may limit the depth of assistance they can provide. The discussion includes various interpretations of the series and its coefficients, indicating a complex understanding of the mathematical concepts involved.

Chingon
Messages
9
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


I need to expand 1/y(x)2 , where y(x)=x1/2Ʃ(-1)n/(n!)2 * (3x/4)n for n=0 to ∞


Homework Equations


How does one arrive at the correct solution (-coefficients seem to vanish, only + remain)?


The Attempt at a Solution


I know that x1/2Ʃ(-1)n/(n!)2 * (3x/4)n expands to x1/2(1-3/4x+9/64x2-3/256x3...)

also, I can follow the expansion of y(x)2 in that it expands to:
x(1-3/2x+27/32x2-15/64x3+153/4096x4-27/8192x5+9/65536x6...)

or at least Wolfram Alpha can lead me to this expansion which matches the answer.

However, I'm stuck at seeing how 1/y(x)2 can expand to:
x-1(1+3/2x-27/32x2+15/64x3+...+9/4x2-81/32+...+27/8x3+...)

=x-1(1+3/2x+45/32x2+69/64x3+...)

It seems to me that there should be some semblance of 1/y(x)2 to y(x)2, and therefore have the +/- coefficients. Wolfram Alpha doesn't seem to be able (willing?) to expand this expression either. Anyone have any tricks for calculating the inverse squared summation?

Thanks in advance!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Chingon said:

Homework Statement


I need to expand 1/y(x)2 , where y(x)=x1/2Ʃ(-1)n/(n!)2 * (3x/4)n for n=0 to ∞


Homework Equations


How does one arrive at the correct solution (-coefficients seem to vanish, only + remain)?


The Attempt at a Solution


I know that x1/2Ʃ(-1)n/(n!)2 * (3x/4)n expands to x1/2(1-3/4x+9/64x2-3/256x3...)

also, I can follow the expansion of y(x)2 in that it expands to:
x(1-3/2x+27/32x2-15/64x3+153/4096x4-27/8192x5+9/65536x6...)

or at least Wolfram Alpha can lead me to this expansion which matches the answer.

However, I'm stuck at seeing how 1/y(x)2 can expand to:
x-1(1+3/2x-27/32x2+15/64x3+...+9/4x2-81/32+...+27/8x3+...)

=x-1(1+3/2x+45/32x2+69/64x3+...)

It seems to me that there should be some semblance of 1/y(x)2 to y(x)2, and therefore have the +/- coefficients. Wolfram Alpha doesn't seem to be able (willing?) to expand this expression either. Anyone have any tricks for calculating the inverse squared summation?

Thanks in advance!

Maple easily gets the first few terms of the expansion:
\frac{1}{y(x)^2} = \frac{1}{x}\left( 1 + \sum_{n=1}^{19} c_n x^n + \cdots \right),
where c_1, c_2, ..., c_19 are (each c on a different line):
3/2
45/32
69/64
6093/8192
197451/409600
1966419/6553600
23325219/128450560
70801156917/657666867200
82637411991/1315333734400
3810467243817/105226698752000
526187311691121/25464861097984000
7622948627022699/651900444108390400
1034255551214515023/157387392934739968000
3170886841011096265941/863742012425852944384000
440593486864035364870749/215935503106463236096000000
1997150701358677777480094517/1768943641448146830098432000000
1017985739206517442921313503/1635919079611246188475029913600
5591384715189383214803844678009/16359190796112461884750299136000000
170038949461340219021318935958829/908564288830245960060747382784000000

It would probably be better to convert to floating point:
1.50000000000000
1.40625000000000
1.07812500000000
.743774414062500
.482058105468750
.300051727294922
.181589079876335
.107655046115420
.628261937102189e-1
.362119812653020e-1
.206632704441800e-1
.116934245035661e-1
.657140023688787e-2
.367110409751349e-2
.204039391635755e-2
.112900753566332e-2
.622271450888896e-3
.341788587520973e-3
.187151257816066e-3

RGV
 
Hmm... I suppose I should just give that a shot. Thanks!
 
Chingon said:
Hmm... I suppose I should just give that a shot. Thanks!

I don't know if it helps, but y(x) can be expressed in terms of known functions:
y(x) = \sqrt{x} \, \text{BesselI}(0,\sqrt{-3x}),
where BesselI is the modified Bessel function of the first kind. The only point here is that lots of information is available about Bessel functions, including alternative representations, etc., and some of that might be useful.

Here, I am using Maple's definition of the function BesselI. Its series expansion is
\text{BesselI}(0,t) = 1 + \frac{1}{4} t^2 + \frac{1}{64} t^4<br /> + \frac{1}{2304} t^6 + \cdots .
Knowing this helps to check which definition of the Bessel function is being used, in case there are variations between different sources.

RGV
 

Similar threads

Replies
8
Views
3K
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
4K
  • · Replies 33 ·
2
Replies
33
Views
3K
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K