Showing the sum of this telescoping series

Euler2718
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Homework Statement



Determine whether each of the following series is convergent or divergent. If the series is convergent, find its sum

[tex]\sum_{i=1}^{\infty} \frac{6}{9i^{2}+6i-8}[/tex]

Homework Equations



Partial fraction decomposition

[tex]\frac{1}{3i-2} - \frac{1}{3i+4}[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution



The divergence test is inconclusive, so I wrote as partial fractions and started analysing the nth sum:

[tex]S_{n} = \left( 1-\frac{1}{7} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{4} - \frac{1}{10} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{7} - \frac{1}{13} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{10} - \frac{1}{16} \right) + \dots[/tex]

1 and 1/4 are the only terms that do not cancel, but how do I show this in the nth case? I'm having trouble writing it generally.
 
Morgan Chafe said:

Homework Statement



Determine whether each of the following series is convergent or divergent. If the series is convergent, find its sum

[tex]\sum_{i=1}^{\infty} \frac{6}{9i^{2}+6i-8}[/tex]

Homework Equations



Partial fraction decomposition

[tex]\frac{1}{3i-2} - \frac{1}{3i+4}[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution



The divergence test is inconclusive, so I wrote as partial fractions and started analysing the nth sum:

[tex]S_{n} = \left( 1-\frac{1}{7} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{4} - \frac{1}{10} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{7} - \frac{1}{13} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{10} - \frac{1}{16} \right) + \dots[/tex]

1 and 1/4 are the only terms that do not cancel, but how do I show this in the nth case? I'm having trouble writing it generally.
Include the general term in your expansion:
##S_{n} = \left( 1-\frac{1}{7} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{4} - \frac{1}{10} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{7} - \frac{1}{13} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{10} - \frac{1}{16} \right) + \dots + \left( \frac{1}{3n-2} - \frac{1}{3n+4} \right) + \dots##
If you add in the term before and the one after the last term I wrote above, you should see how the telescoping happens.
 
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Morgan Chafe said:

Homework Statement



Determine whether each of the following series is convergent or divergent. If the series is convergent, find its sum

[tex]\sum_{i=1}^{\infty} \frac{6}{9i^{2}+6i-8}[/tex]

Homework Equations



Partial fraction decomposition

[tex]\frac{1}{3i-2} - \frac{1}{3i+4}[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution



The divergence test is inconclusive, so I wrote as partial fractions and started analysing the nth sum:

[tex]S_{n} = \left( 1-\frac{1}{7} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{4} - \frac{1}{10} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{7} - \frac{1}{13} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{10} - \frac{1}{16} \right) + \dots[/tex]

1 and 1/4 are the only terms that do not cancel, but how do I show this in the nth case? I'm having trouble writing it generally.

Show that for every term of the form ##1/(2n)## there will be another term ##-1/(2n)## (corresponding to just two possible values of ##i##) and for every term ##1/(2n+1)## there is a cancelling term ##-1/(2n+1)##---again, corresponding to exactly two values of ##i##.
 
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Ray Vickson said:
Show that for every term of the form ##1/(2n)## there will be another term ##-1/(2n)## (corresponding to just two possible values of ##i##) and for every term ##1/(2n+1)## there is a cancelling term ##-1/(2n+1)##---again, corresponding to exactly two values of ##i##.
Mark44 said:
Include the general term in your expansion:
##S_{n} = \left( 1-\frac{1}{7} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{4} - \frac{1}{10} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{7} - \frac{1}{13} \right) + \left( \frac{1}{10} - \frac{1}{16} \right) + \dots + \left( \frac{1}{3n-2} - \frac{1}{3n+4} \right) + \dots##
If you add in the term before and the one after the last term I wrote above, you should see how the telescoping happens.

Thanks guys, I got it now.
 

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