Use Differentiation to Find a Power Series Representation for:

In summary, using differentiation can help find a power series representation for a given function. This involves finding the coefficients of the power series by repeatedly differentiating the function and evaluating at a specific value of x. The resulting power series can then be used to approximate the original function, providing a useful tool in calculus and other mathematical applications.
  • #1
knowLittle
312
3

Homework Statement


for
a.) f(x) =1/ ( (1+x)^2 )
what is the radius of convergence?

b.) Use part a.) to find a power series for

f(x)=1/ ( (1+x)^3)

c.) Use part b.) to find a power series for
f(x) =x^2 /( (1+x)^3)

Homework Equations


I want to check my work.
I used properties of functions defined by power series.

The Attempt at a Solution


a.)
## \dfrac {d} {dx}\left[ \left( -1\right) \left( 1+x\right) ^{-1}\right] =\sum _{n=0}\left( -1\right) \left( -1\right) ^{n}x^{n}##

after differentiating:
1/ ( (1+x)^2) =SUM[ -n x^(n-1) (-1)^n ]

b.)
##\dfrac {d} {dx}\left[ \left( 1+x\right) ^{-2}\right] =\dfrac {d} {dx}\left[ \sum _{n=0}-nx^{n-1}\left( -1\right) ^{n}\right]##

Differentiating:
2/( (1+x)^3)= SUM [ n(n-1) x^(n-2) (-1)^n ], and multiplying both sides by (1/2) yields the desired fuction.

c.)
Only multiply both sides by x^2 and the desired function is found.

Is this correct?

Thank you.
 
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  • #2
For part a, the resulting series after differentiation is correct, assuming your lower bound of summation is n=1. Otherwise, the Taylor series is SUM[(-1)^n (n+1) x^n), and the lower bound is n=0. To find radius of convergence, I would suggest Ratio test.
In part b, your process is correct, but the series that you use from part a is incorrect (see above). Also, both sides should be multiplied by -1/2.
In part c, the process is correct. It may be easier to check your work with series using http://wolframalpha.com. Make sure you take note of the bounds of integration, since having the wrong ones changes your sum.
 
  • #3
Why do we need to change the indexing? Does it have to do with :
f(x)=a0+a1(x-c)+ a2(x-c)^2 + a3(x-c)^3+...=SUM{n=0 to infinity [an (x-c)^n ]}
 
  • #4
knowLittle said:

Homework Statement


for
a.) f(x) =1/ ( (1+x)^2 )
what is the radius of convergence?

b.) Use part a.) to find a power series for

f(x)=1/ ( (1+x)^3)

c.) Use part b.) to find a power series for
f(x) =x^2 /( (1+x)^3)

Homework Equations


I want to check my work.
I used properties of functions defined by power series.

The Attempt at a Solution


a.)
## \dfrac {d} {dx}\left[ \left( -1\right) \left( 1+x\right) ^{-1}\right] =\sum _{n=0}\left( -1\right) \left( -1\right) ^{n}x^{n}##
The above line should read:

[itex]\displaystyle \dfrac {d} {dx}\left[ \left( -1\right) \left( 1+x\right) ^{-1}\right] =\dfrac {d} {dx}\left[ \ \sum _{n=0}^{\infty}\left( -1\right) \left( -1\right) ^{n}x^{n}\ \right][/itex]​
Which gives
[itex]\displaystyle \left( 1+x\right) ^{-2} =\sum _{n=1}^{\infty}-nx^{n-1}\left( -1\right) ^{n}[/itex]​

You didn't answer: "what is the radius of convergence?"
after differentiating:
1/ ( (1+x)^2) =SUM[ -n x^(n-1) (-1)^n ]

b.)
##\dfrac {d} {dx}\left[ \left( 1+x\right) ^{-2}\right] =\dfrac {d} {dx}\left[ \sum _{n=0}-nx^{n-1}\left( -1\right) ^{n}\right]##

Differentiating:
2/( (1+x)^3)= SUM [ n(n-1) x^(n-2) (-1)^n ], and multiplying both sides by (1/2) yields the desired fuction.

c.)
Only multiply both sides by x^2 and the desired function is found.

Is this correct?

Thank you.
 
  • #5
You are right.
ROC=1 , since |-x|<1,
 

1. What is differentiation and how is it used to find a power series representation?

Differentiation is a mathematical operation that is used to find the rate of change of a function. In the context of power series, differentiation is used to find a formula for the coefficients of the power series representation, allowing us to express a function as an infinite sum of powers of the variable x.

2. What is a power series representation and why is it useful?

A power series representation is an infinite series of terms that involve powers of the variable x. It is useful because it allows us to express a function as an infinite sum, which can be useful for approximation, integration, and solving differential equations.

3. How do I use differentiation to find a power series representation?

To use differentiation to find a power series representation, we start with a known power series representation and differentiate it term by term. This will give us a new power series representation with coefficients related to the original coefficients by a formula involving the derivative of the original function.

4. Are there any specific strategies for finding a power series representation using differentiation?

Yes, there are several strategies that can be used to find a power series representation using differentiation. These include using known power series representations for basic functions such as polynomials, exponential functions, and trigonometric functions, and using theorems such as the Taylor series expansion to find a power series representation.

5. Can differentiation be used to find a power series representation for any function?

No, differentiation can only be used to find a power series representation for analytic functions, which are functions that can be expressed as a power series. Analytic functions are those that have a continuous set of derivatives, so that the power series representation can be differentiated term by term.

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