Summing up the Series: $\sum^{n}_{x=2}x(x-1)\binom{n}{x}p^{x}q^{n-x}$

  • Thread starter hanboning
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In summary, the conversation discusses finding the sum of the series \sum^{n}_{x=2}x(x-1)\binom{n}{x}p^{x}q^{n-x}, which is related to expected values and involves simplifying x(x-1) with the combination. The simplified form is n(n-1)\sum^{n}_{x=2}{{n-2}\choose{x-2}}p^{x}q^{n-x}, with n(n-1)p^{2} as the final answer. The conversation ends with a thank you and a happy new year wish.
  • #1
hanboning
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The series in question is [tex]\sum^{n}_{x=2}x(x-1)\binom{n}{x}p^{x}q^{n-x}[/tex]. How do I find the sum of this?

I think this is related to expected values and doing cancelling with the x(x-1) with the combination.

Thanks!
 
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  • #2
welcome to pf!

hi hanboning! welcome to pf! :smile:

hint: simplify x(x-1) nCx :wink:
 
  • #3
Hi tim, thanks for your help. I might have gotten it.

So I simplified the things you said in your hint and I got [tex]n(n-1)\sum^{n}_{x=2}{{n-2}\choose{x-2}}p^{x}q^{n-x}[/tex]. Then I moved a [tex]p^{2}[/tex] out of the sum and got [tex]n(n-1)p^{2}[/tex] as the answer.
 
  • #4
s'right! :biggrin:

(i'm assuming p + q = 1? :wink:)
 
  • #5
Yep, I appreciate your help. Happy new year.
 

1. What is the purpose of summing up this series?

The purpose of summing up the series $\sum^{n}_{x=2}x(x-1)\binom{n}{x}p^{x}q^{n-x}$ is to determine the total number of successful outcomes in a binomial experiment with n number of trials, where x number of successes occur and p is the probability of success.

2. How is this series related to binomial theorem?

This series is related to binomial theorem because it involves the combination of two binomial coefficients, $\binom{n}{x}$ and $\binom{n}{x-1}$, and the terms within the parentheses can be simplified to (x-1) and x, which are also coefficients in the binomial expansion.

3. How can this series be used in real-life situations?

This series can be used in real-life situations to calculate the probability of a certain number of successes in a series of trials, such as the probability of getting 3 heads in 5 coin tosses or the probability of rolling a total of 8 on two dice in 10 rolls.

4. What is the significance of the parameters p and q in this series?

The parameters p and q represent the probability of success and failure, respectively, in a binomial experiment. They are used to calculate the probability of a certain number of successes, x, in n trials. The value of q is equal to 1-p, as there are only two possible outcomes in a binomial experiment.

5. Is there a shortcut or formula to calculate the sum of this series?

Yes, there is a formula to calculate the sum of this series, which is $\sum^{n}_{x=2}x(x-1)\binom{n}{x}p^{x}q^{n-x} = np^2 + n(n-1)p^2q + n(n-1)(n-2)p^2q^2$. This formula can be derived using the binomial theorem and simplifying the terms within the parentheses.

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