Understanding Induction and Finding Formulas for Summations

  • Thread starter Thread starter carlosbgois
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Induction Spivak
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
3 replies · 2K views
carlosbgois
Messages
66
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



1b) Prove by induction: [itex]1^{3}+...+n^{3}=(1+...+n)^{2}[/itex]
2a) Find a formula for: [itex]\sum^{n}_{i=1}(2i-1)[/itex]

Homework Equations



There's a Hint for 2a): 'What to this expression have to do with [itex]1+2+3+...+2n[/itex]?'


The Attempt at a Solution



In 2a) I've got near the answer, when comparing with the given one, but I can't understand the last thing he does. The solution in the book is:

[itex]\sum^{n}_{i=1}(2i-1)=1+2+3+...+2n-2(1+...+n)<br /> =(2n)(2n+1)/2-n(n+1)[/itex]

And I couldn't understand how to make the second member become the third one, which goes directly to the answer [itex]n^{2}[/itex]


Thanks
 
Physics news on Phys.org
We can get the odd integers by first starting with all integers and removing those which are even.