What is the lower bound for the product term with a limit of M>=2?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on determining the lower and upper bounds for the product term defined as \(\prod_{i=1}^{\infty}\left(1-\frac{1}{M^{i}}\right)\) with the condition that \(M \geq 2\). Participants explore various mathematical approaches to establish these bounds, including the use of logarithmic transformations and series expansions. The conversation includes theoretical considerations and implications of convergence.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express the need for both lower and upper bounds for the product term, suggesting that a close upper bound should not be trivial (like 1).
  • One participant proposes using logarithmic transformations and the first term of a power series expansion to derive an upper bound, leading to the inequality \(\prod_{i=1}^{\infty} \left(1-\frac{1}{M^i}\right) < e^{\frac{1}{1-M}}\).
  • Another participant questions whether the product converges to zero, seeking clarification on the lower bound.
  • A later reply asserts that the product converges strictly above zero, providing reasoning based on probability and summation comparisons.
  • Additional methods for bounding the product are discussed, including the use of Euler's function and series expansions, with some participants suggesting that these methods yield progressively tighter upper bounds.
  • One participant provides a detailed argument showing that the product is bounded away from zero for any \(M > 1\), concluding with an inequality that suggests a lower bound of the form \(e^{-m/(m-1)^2}\).

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the need for bounds but express differing views on the specific values and methods to establish them. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the exact lower bound, with multiple competing approaches presented.

Contextual Notes

Some limitations include the dependence on the definitions of convergence and bounds, as well as the unresolved nature of certain mathematical steps in deriving the bounds.

bincy
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View attachment 145 where M>=2. A close upper bound also will be useful(not like 1 as the upper bound). Thanks in advance.This is also QPochhammer[1/M,1/M,inf]. Courtesy to mathematica.
 

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bincybn said:
View attachment 145 where M>=2. A close upper bound also will be useful(not like 1 as the upper bound). Thanks in advance.This is also QPochhammer[1/M,1/M,inf]. Courtesy to mathematica.

If that is what Mathematica thinks it sums to then you can be reasonably confident that there is no simple closed form for that sum in terms of elementary functions.

I can think of a couple of methods of getting upper bounds, the first is to take logs then use the first term of the power series expansion of:

\(\displaystyle \log\left(1-\frac{1}{M^i}\right)<- \frac{1}{M^i} \)

so:

\(\displaystyle \sum_{i=1}^{\infty} \left(\log \left(1-\frac{1}{M^i} \right) \right) <- \sum_{i=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{M^i}= -\; \frac{1}{M}\;\frac{1}{1-\frac{1}{M}}=\frac{1}{1-M} \)

Then exponentiating we get:

\( \displaystyle \prod_{i=1}^{\infty} \left(1-\frac{1}{M^i}\right) < e^{\frac{1}{1-M}} \)

A second way is to bound the infinite sum above by intergrals.

CB
 
Thanks. Can you tell anything about the lower bound? My doubt is whether it will converge to zero or not?
 
I think, i got the ans for my own previous question. Can anyone pls verify it? All suggestions are always welcome.[math] \prod_{i=1}^{\infty}\left(1-\frac{1}{M^{i}}\right)[/math] converges(Thanks to Mr. CaptainBlack for the upper bound) strictly above zero.

Consider a problem as follows: (I posted this in some other forum for some other purpose. Here I am repeating it for a different purpose. Hope that it won't violate the rules)

I have divided time into different slots, transmitting different coins(one in each slot) with probability of heads Bernoulli[math] P_{k}=\frac{1}{M^{k}}[/math] where k is the slot index.
Then [math] \prod_{i=1}^{\infty}\left(1-\frac{1}{M^{i}}\right)[/math] is the P (Head never happens) = 1-P (Head ever happens) =1-[math] \sum_{i=1}^{\infty} \left\{ \prod_{j=1}^{i-1}\left(1-\frac{1}{M^{j}}\right)\right\} *\left(\frac{1}{M^{i}}\right)[/math]

[math] \sum_{i=1}^{\infty} \left\{ \prod_{j=1}^{i-1}\left(1-\frac{1}{M^{j}}\right)\right\} *\left(\frac{1}{M^{i}}\right)[/math] < [math] \sum_{i=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{M^{i}}[/math] since [math] \left\{ \prod_{j=1}^{i-1}\left(1-\frac{1}{M^{j}}\right)\right\}[/math] always less than 1 [math] \forall M \geq2[/math] .

[math] \Longrightarrow \sum_{i=1}^{\infty} \left\{ \prod_{j=1}^{i-1}\left(1-\frac{1}{M^{j}}\right)\right\} *\left(\frac{1}{M^{i}}\right)[/math] < [math] \frac{1}{M-1} \leq 1[/math](=1 for M=2)

Therefore [math] \sum_{i=1}^{\infty} \left\{ \prod_{j=1}^{i-1}\left(1-\frac{1}{M^{j}}\right)\right\} *\left(\frac{1}{M^{i}}\right)[/math] < 1

and [math] \prod_{i=1}^{\infty}\left(1-\frac{1}{M^{i}}\right)[/math] > 0.
 
Last edited:
bincybn said:
View attachment 145 where M>=2. A close upper bound also will be useful(not like 1 as the upper bound). Thanks in advance.This is also QPochhammer[1/M,1/M,inf]. Courtesy to mathematica.

The function...

$\displaystyle \phi(z)=\prod _{n=1}^{\infty} (1-z^{n})$ (1)

... is know as 'Euler's Function'. An explicit elementary expression of (1) is not know so that we try the series expansion of its logarithm...

$\displaystyle \ln \phi(z)= \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \ln (1-z^{n})= -\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\ \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \frac{z^n k}{k}= -\sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{k}\ \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} z^{n k}= - \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \frac{z^{k}}{k\ (1-z^{k})}$ (2)

Any finite sum of (2) is an 'upper bound' of the function and if k increases then the 'upper bound' is more close to the function. Setting $z=\frac{1}{m}$ in (2) if You uses only the first term of the series You obtain...

$\displaystyle \prod _{n=1}^{\infty} (1-m^{-n}) < e^{- \frac{1}{m-1}}$ (3)

If You use two terms of the series expansion You obtain...

$\displaystyle \prod _{n=1}^{\infty} (1-m^{-n}) < e^{- \frac{1}{m-1}}\ e^{- \frac{1}{2\ (m^{2}-1)}}$ (4)

... and so one...

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$
 
bincybn said:
Can you tell anything about the lower bound? My doubt is whether it will converge to zero or not?
You can get it bounded away from 0 (for any $m>1$) like this. First, for $0<x<1$, $$ -\ln(1-x) = x + \tfrac{x^2}2 + \tfrac{x^3}3 + \ldots < x + x^2 + x^3 + \ldots = \tfrac x{1-x}.$$
Then $\displaystyle -\sum_{n=1}^\infty\ln(1-m^{-n}) < \sum_{n=1}^\infty \tfrac1{m^n-1}.$ But $m^n-1 = (m-1)(m^{n-1} + \ldots + 1) > m^{n-1}(m-1)$, and therefore $$-\sum_{n=1}^\infty\ln(1-m^{-n}) < \sum_{n=1}^\infty \tfrac1{m^{n-1}(m-1)} = \tfrac m{(m-1)^2}.$$

Thus $\displaystyle \prod_{n=1}^\infty (1-m^{-n}) > e^{-m/(m-1)^2}.$
 

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