Need help writing this as a sum

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Homework Statement



Write as a series to represent the infinite sum and write the sum as a rational number.

0.71 + 0.7171 + 0.717171 + 0.71717171...

Please help with this problem. I have been working on it for almost an hour.
 
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Are you sure that you've written the problem and/or sum correctly because the particular sum in question (0.71 + 0.7171 + 0.717171 + ...) diverges and consequently is not equal to any real number. Do you perhaps mean write the decimal 0.7171... as an infinite sum and then write this sum as a rational number?
 
\sum Ak-1+.71*10-k-(k-1)

Starting on k=2, going to n, and assuming Ak=.71 when k=1

I'm pretty sure about this...
 
\infty i
\Sigma \Sigma 71*10^(-2a)
i = 1 a = 1

Of this, I am certain. a=1 should be under the second summation.
 
toasted said:

Homework Statement



Write as a series to represent the infinite sum and write the sum as a rational number.

0.71 + 0.7171 + 0.717171 + 0.71717171...

Please help with this problem. I have been working on it for almost an hour.
I'm with jgens on this. As you have written it, this is a divergent series, so doesn't represent any real number.

Please give us the problem in its exact wording.
 
kashiark said:
\infty i
\Sigma \Sigma 71*10^(-2a)
i = 1 a = 1

Of this, I am certain. a=1 should be under the second summation.
Okay, if you are certain that is the problem, then I am certain if does NOT converge.
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
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