Evaluation of $sumlimits_{k=1}^nleft(x^{k}+frac{1}{x^k}right)^k$












4












$begingroup$


Can anyone find a simplified expression for the sum $displaystyle sum_{k=1}^nleft(x^{k}+frac{1}{x^k}right)^k$? I have tried expanding the first few terms but it gets a little messy with no clear leads. I suspect formulae for geometric series may come into it somehow, but at the moment it isn't clear how to start.










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$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    It's from an Olympiad paper I believe, so I assumed there would be a neat solution, with no need for double sums etc.
    $endgroup$
    – wrb98
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:46








  • 2




    $begingroup$
    I honestly have no clue. After binomial expansion, you end up with things like $x^{k^2}$, which have no closed form sum.
    $endgroup$
    – Simply Beautiful Art
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:47










  • $begingroup$
    Exactly. I tried to see if expanding the first brackets could lead to some pattern and then proceed by induction, but it's a dead end.
    $endgroup$
    – wrb98
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:49






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Interesting, even Wolfram|Alpha can't figure it out.
    $endgroup$
    – projectilemotion
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:52






  • 3




    $begingroup$
    @Will: is the original problem really about simplifying such sum, or just about evaluating the coefficient of $x^0$ in the Laurent series?
    $endgroup$
    – Jack D'Aurizio
    Mar 8 '17 at 21:06
















4












$begingroup$


Can anyone find a simplified expression for the sum $displaystyle sum_{k=1}^nleft(x^{k}+frac{1}{x^k}right)^k$? I have tried expanding the first few terms but it gets a little messy with no clear leads. I suspect formulae for geometric series may come into it somehow, but at the moment it isn't clear how to start.










share|cite|improve this question











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    It's from an Olympiad paper I believe, so I assumed there would be a neat solution, with no need for double sums etc.
    $endgroup$
    – wrb98
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:46








  • 2




    $begingroup$
    I honestly have no clue. After binomial expansion, you end up with things like $x^{k^2}$, which have no closed form sum.
    $endgroup$
    – Simply Beautiful Art
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:47










  • $begingroup$
    Exactly. I tried to see if expanding the first brackets could lead to some pattern and then proceed by induction, but it's a dead end.
    $endgroup$
    – wrb98
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:49






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Interesting, even Wolfram|Alpha can't figure it out.
    $endgroup$
    – projectilemotion
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:52






  • 3




    $begingroup$
    @Will: is the original problem really about simplifying such sum, or just about evaluating the coefficient of $x^0$ in the Laurent series?
    $endgroup$
    – Jack D'Aurizio
    Mar 8 '17 at 21:06














4












4








4


6



$begingroup$


Can anyone find a simplified expression for the sum $displaystyle sum_{k=1}^nleft(x^{k}+frac{1}{x^k}right)^k$? I have tried expanding the first few terms but it gets a little messy with no clear leads. I suspect formulae for geometric series may come into it somehow, but at the moment it isn't clear how to start.










share|cite|improve this question











$endgroup$




Can anyone find a simplified expression for the sum $displaystyle sum_{k=1}^nleft(x^{k}+frac{1}{x^k}right)^k$? I have tried expanding the first few terms but it gets a little messy with no clear leads. I suspect formulae for geometric series may come into it somehow, but at the moment it isn't clear how to start.







sequences-and-series algebra-precalculus binomial-theorem






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share|cite|improve this question













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share|cite|improve this question








edited Jan 18 at 12:51









Martin Sleziak

44.7k10119272




44.7k10119272










asked Mar 8 '17 at 20:44









wrb98wrb98

579313




579313












  • $begingroup$
    It's from an Olympiad paper I believe, so I assumed there would be a neat solution, with no need for double sums etc.
    $endgroup$
    – wrb98
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:46








  • 2




    $begingroup$
    I honestly have no clue. After binomial expansion, you end up with things like $x^{k^2}$, which have no closed form sum.
    $endgroup$
    – Simply Beautiful Art
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:47










  • $begingroup$
    Exactly. I tried to see if expanding the first brackets could lead to some pattern and then proceed by induction, but it's a dead end.
    $endgroup$
    – wrb98
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:49






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Interesting, even Wolfram|Alpha can't figure it out.
    $endgroup$
    – projectilemotion
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:52






  • 3




    $begingroup$
    @Will: is the original problem really about simplifying such sum, or just about evaluating the coefficient of $x^0$ in the Laurent series?
    $endgroup$
    – Jack D'Aurizio
    Mar 8 '17 at 21:06


















  • $begingroup$
    It's from an Olympiad paper I believe, so I assumed there would be a neat solution, with no need for double sums etc.
    $endgroup$
    – wrb98
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:46








  • 2




    $begingroup$
    I honestly have no clue. After binomial expansion, you end up with things like $x^{k^2}$, which have no closed form sum.
    $endgroup$
    – Simply Beautiful Art
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:47










  • $begingroup$
    Exactly. I tried to see if expanding the first brackets could lead to some pattern and then proceed by induction, but it's a dead end.
    $endgroup$
    – wrb98
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:49






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Interesting, even Wolfram|Alpha can't figure it out.
    $endgroup$
    – projectilemotion
    Mar 8 '17 at 20:52






  • 3




    $begingroup$
    @Will: is the original problem really about simplifying such sum, or just about evaluating the coefficient of $x^0$ in the Laurent series?
    $endgroup$
    – Jack D'Aurizio
    Mar 8 '17 at 21:06
















$begingroup$
It's from an Olympiad paper I believe, so I assumed there would be a neat solution, with no need for double sums etc.
$endgroup$
– wrb98
Mar 8 '17 at 20:46






$begingroup$
It's from an Olympiad paper I believe, so I assumed there would be a neat solution, with no need for double sums etc.
$endgroup$
– wrb98
Mar 8 '17 at 20:46






2




2




$begingroup$
I honestly have no clue. After binomial expansion, you end up with things like $x^{k^2}$, which have no closed form sum.
$endgroup$
– Simply Beautiful Art
Mar 8 '17 at 20:47




$begingroup$
I honestly have no clue. After binomial expansion, you end up with things like $x^{k^2}$, which have no closed form sum.
$endgroup$
– Simply Beautiful Art
Mar 8 '17 at 20:47












$begingroup$
Exactly. I tried to see if expanding the first brackets could lead to some pattern and then proceed by induction, but it's a dead end.
$endgroup$
– wrb98
Mar 8 '17 at 20:49




$begingroup$
Exactly. I tried to see if expanding the first brackets could lead to some pattern and then proceed by induction, but it's a dead end.
$endgroup$
– wrb98
Mar 8 '17 at 20:49




1




1




$begingroup$
Interesting, even Wolfram|Alpha can't figure it out.
$endgroup$
– projectilemotion
Mar 8 '17 at 20:52




$begingroup$
Interesting, even Wolfram|Alpha can't figure it out.
$endgroup$
– projectilemotion
Mar 8 '17 at 20:52




3




3




$begingroup$
@Will: is the original problem really about simplifying such sum, or just about evaluating the coefficient of $x^0$ in the Laurent series?
$endgroup$
– Jack D'Aurizio
Mar 8 '17 at 21:06




$begingroup$
@Will: is the original problem really about simplifying such sum, or just about evaluating the coefficient of $x^0$ in the Laurent series?
$endgroup$
– Jack D'Aurizio
Mar 8 '17 at 21:06










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















3












$begingroup$

Let $S(n)$ be your sum.
For $1 le m le n^2$, the coefficient of $x^m$ (and of $x^{-m}$, by symmetry) in $S(n)$ is
$$ [x^m]; S(n) = sum_k {k choose frac{m}{2k}+frac{k}{2}}$$
where the sum is over all divisors $k$ of $m$ such that $m le k^2 le n^2$
and $frac{m}{k} equiv k mod 2$. In particular this is $0$ if $m equiv 2 mod 4$.



The coefficient of $x^0$ in $S(n)$ is $$ [x^0] ; S(n) = sum_{j=1}^{lfloor n/2 rfloor} {2j choose j}$$






share|cite|improve this answer











$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    My guess, based on the usual approximation to $binom{2j}{j}$, is that $sum_{j=1}^m binom{2j}{j} approx dfrac{4^m}{sqrt{pi }}dfrac{4}{3sqrt{m}}$.
    $endgroup$
    – marty cohen
    Mar 9 '17 at 3:23






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @martycohen See OEIS sequence A066796, in particular the formula by Vaclav Kotesovec, which agrees with your guess.
    $endgroup$
    – Robert Israel
    Mar 9 '17 at 4:53





















0












$begingroup$

Not an answer, just a long comment;



Not sure how to proceed, but one way to rewrite it is $x=e^{iphi}$, getting



$$sum_{k=1}^n (2cos kphi)^k=sum_{k=1}^n 2^k T_k^k(cos(phi))$$
where $T$ is a Chebyshev polynomial of the first kind.



It seems to me that the expression is too convoluted to expect a nice solution. Another similar approach that might be considered is to express everything with $x+x^{-1}$. We have expressions of the type



$$(x+x^{-1})^2=2+(x^2+x^{-2})$$
$$(x+x^{-1})^3=3(x+x^{-1})+(x^3+x^{-3})$$
which could be solved for $x^k+x^{-k}$ but I can't see how to get a closed form for a general term. This solution does give you the constant term (reproduces result by @RobertIsrael) but the rest gets complicated due to $()^k$ - we get summations over very strange sets.



A reference that might be useful - it includes some very similar expressions.






share|cite|improve this answer









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    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

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    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    3












    $begingroup$

    Let $S(n)$ be your sum.
    For $1 le m le n^2$, the coefficient of $x^m$ (and of $x^{-m}$, by symmetry) in $S(n)$ is
    $$ [x^m]; S(n) = sum_k {k choose frac{m}{2k}+frac{k}{2}}$$
    where the sum is over all divisors $k$ of $m$ such that $m le k^2 le n^2$
    and $frac{m}{k} equiv k mod 2$. In particular this is $0$ if $m equiv 2 mod 4$.



    The coefficient of $x^0$ in $S(n)$ is $$ [x^0] ; S(n) = sum_{j=1}^{lfloor n/2 rfloor} {2j choose j}$$






    share|cite|improve this answer











    $endgroup$













    • $begingroup$
      My guess, based on the usual approximation to $binom{2j}{j}$, is that $sum_{j=1}^m binom{2j}{j} approx dfrac{4^m}{sqrt{pi }}dfrac{4}{3sqrt{m}}$.
      $endgroup$
      – marty cohen
      Mar 9 '17 at 3:23






    • 1




      $begingroup$
      @martycohen See OEIS sequence A066796, in particular the formula by Vaclav Kotesovec, which agrees with your guess.
      $endgroup$
      – Robert Israel
      Mar 9 '17 at 4:53


















    3












    $begingroup$

    Let $S(n)$ be your sum.
    For $1 le m le n^2$, the coefficient of $x^m$ (and of $x^{-m}$, by symmetry) in $S(n)$ is
    $$ [x^m]; S(n) = sum_k {k choose frac{m}{2k}+frac{k}{2}}$$
    where the sum is over all divisors $k$ of $m$ such that $m le k^2 le n^2$
    and $frac{m}{k} equiv k mod 2$. In particular this is $0$ if $m equiv 2 mod 4$.



    The coefficient of $x^0$ in $S(n)$ is $$ [x^0] ; S(n) = sum_{j=1}^{lfloor n/2 rfloor} {2j choose j}$$






    share|cite|improve this answer











    $endgroup$













    • $begingroup$
      My guess, based on the usual approximation to $binom{2j}{j}$, is that $sum_{j=1}^m binom{2j}{j} approx dfrac{4^m}{sqrt{pi }}dfrac{4}{3sqrt{m}}$.
      $endgroup$
      – marty cohen
      Mar 9 '17 at 3:23






    • 1




      $begingroup$
      @martycohen See OEIS sequence A066796, in particular the formula by Vaclav Kotesovec, which agrees with your guess.
      $endgroup$
      – Robert Israel
      Mar 9 '17 at 4:53
















    3












    3








    3





    $begingroup$

    Let $S(n)$ be your sum.
    For $1 le m le n^2$, the coefficient of $x^m$ (and of $x^{-m}$, by symmetry) in $S(n)$ is
    $$ [x^m]; S(n) = sum_k {k choose frac{m}{2k}+frac{k}{2}}$$
    where the sum is over all divisors $k$ of $m$ such that $m le k^2 le n^2$
    and $frac{m}{k} equiv k mod 2$. In particular this is $0$ if $m equiv 2 mod 4$.



    The coefficient of $x^0$ in $S(n)$ is $$ [x^0] ; S(n) = sum_{j=1}^{lfloor n/2 rfloor} {2j choose j}$$






    share|cite|improve this answer











    $endgroup$



    Let $S(n)$ be your sum.
    For $1 le m le n^2$, the coefficient of $x^m$ (and of $x^{-m}$, by symmetry) in $S(n)$ is
    $$ [x^m]; S(n) = sum_k {k choose frac{m}{2k}+frac{k}{2}}$$
    where the sum is over all divisors $k$ of $m$ such that $m le k^2 le n^2$
    and $frac{m}{k} equiv k mod 2$. In particular this is $0$ if $m equiv 2 mod 4$.



    The coefficient of $x^0$ in $S(n)$ is $$ [x^0] ; S(n) = sum_{j=1}^{lfloor n/2 rfloor} {2j choose j}$$







    share|cite|improve this answer














    share|cite|improve this answer



    share|cite|improve this answer








    edited Mar 8 '17 at 21:37

























    answered Mar 8 '17 at 21:30









    Robert IsraelRobert Israel

    325k23214468




    325k23214468












    • $begingroup$
      My guess, based on the usual approximation to $binom{2j}{j}$, is that $sum_{j=1}^m binom{2j}{j} approx dfrac{4^m}{sqrt{pi }}dfrac{4}{3sqrt{m}}$.
      $endgroup$
      – marty cohen
      Mar 9 '17 at 3:23






    • 1




      $begingroup$
      @martycohen See OEIS sequence A066796, in particular the formula by Vaclav Kotesovec, which agrees with your guess.
      $endgroup$
      – Robert Israel
      Mar 9 '17 at 4:53




















    • $begingroup$
      My guess, based on the usual approximation to $binom{2j}{j}$, is that $sum_{j=1}^m binom{2j}{j} approx dfrac{4^m}{sqrt{pi }}dfrac{4}{3sqrt{m}}$.
      $endgroup$
      – marty cohen
      Mar 9 '17 at 3:23






    • 1




      $begingroup$
      @martycohen See OEIS sequence A066796, in particular the formula by Vaclav Kotesovec, which agrees with your guess.
      $endgroup$
      – Robert Israel
      Mar 9 '17 at 4:53


















    $begingroup$
    My guess, based on the usual approximation to $binom{2j}{j}$, is that $sum_{j=1}^m binom{2j}{j} approx dfrac{4^m}{sqrt{pi }}dfrac{4}{3sqrt{m}}$.
    $endgroup$
    – marty cohen
    Mar 9 '17 at 3:23




    $begingroup$
    My guess, based on the usual approximation to $binom{2j}{j}$, is that $sum_{j=1}^m binom{2j}{j} approx dfrac{4^m}{sqrt{pi }}dfrac{4}{3sqrt{m}}$.
    $endgroup$
    – marty cohen
    Mar 9 '17 at 3:23




    1




    1




    $begingroup$
    @martycohen See OEIS sequence A066796, in particular the formula by Vaclav Kotesovec, which agrees with your guess.
    $endgroup$
    – Robert Israel
    Mar 9 '17 at 4:53






    $begingroup$
    @martycohen See OEIS sequence A066796, in particular the formula by Vaclav Kotesovec, which agrees with your guess.
    $endgroup$
    – Robert Israel
    Mar 9 '17 at 4:53













    0












    $begingroup$

    Not an answer, just a long comment;



    Not sure how to proceed, but one way to rewrite it is $x=e^{iphi}$, getting



    $$sum_{k=1}^n (2cos kphi)^k=sum_{k=1}^n 2^k T_k^k(cos(phi))$$
    where $T$ is a Chebyshev polynomial of the first kind.



    It seems to me that the expression is too convoluted to expect a nice solution. Another similar approach that might be considered is to express everything with $x+x^{-1}$. We have expressions of the type



    $$(x+x^{-1})^2=2+(x^2+x^{-2})$$
    $$(x+x^{-1})^3=3(x+x^{-1})+(x^3+x^{-3})$$
    which could be solved for $x^k+x^{-k}$ but I can't see how to get a closed form for a general term. This solution does give you the constant term (reproduces result by @RobertIsrael) but the rest gets complicated due to $()^k$ - we get summations over very strange sets.



    A reference that might be useful - it includes some very similar expressions.






    share|cite|improve this answer









    $endgroup$


















      0












      $begingroup$

      Not an answer, just a long comment;



      Not sure how to proceed, but one way to rewrite it is $x=e^{iphi}$, getting



      $$sum_{k=1}^n (2cos kphi)^k=sum_{k=1}^n 2^k T_k^k(cos(phi))$$
      where $T$ is a Chebyshev polynomial of the first kind.



      It seems to me that the expression is too convoluted to expect a nice solution. Another similar approach that might be considered is to express everything with $x+x^{-1}$. We have expressions of the type



      $$(x+x^{-1})^2=2+(x^2+x^{-2})$$
      $$(x+x^{-1})^3=3(x+x^{-1})+(x^3+x^{-3})$$
      which could be solved for $x^k+x^{-k}$ but I can't see how to get a closed form for a general term. This solution does give you the constant term (reproduces result by @RobertIsrael) but the rest gets complicated due to $()^k$ - we get summations over very strange sets.



      A reference that might be useful - it includes some very similar expressions.






      share|cite|improve this answer









      $endgroup$
















        0












        0








        0





        $begingroup$

        Not an answer, just a long comment;



        Not sure how to proceed, but one way to rewrite it is $x=e^{iphi}$, getting



        $$sum_{k=1}^n (2cos kphi)^k=sum_{k=1}^n 2^k T_k^k(cos(phi))$$
        where $T$ is a Chebyshev polynomial of the first kind.



        It seems to me that the expression is too convoluted to expect a nice solution. Another similar approach that might be considered is to express everything with $x+x^{-1}$. We have expressions of the type



        $$(x+x^{-1})^2=2+(x^2+x^{-2})$$
        $$(x+x^{-1})^3=3(x+x^{-1})+(x^3+x^{-3})$$
        which could be solved for $x^k+x^{-k}$ but I can't see how to get a closed form for a general term. This solution does give you the constant term (reproduces result by @RobertIsrael) but the rest gets complicated due to $()^k$ - we get summations over very strange sets.



        A reference that might be useful - it includes some very similar expressions.






        share|cite|improve this answer









        $endgroup$



        Not an answer, just a long comment;



        Not sure how to proceed, but one way to rewrite it is $x=e^{iphi}$, getting



        $$sum_{k=1}^n (2cos kphi)^k=sum_{k=1}^n 2^k T_k^k(cos(phi))$$
        where $T$ is a Chebyshev polynomial of the first kind.



        It seems to me that the expression is too convoluted to expect a nice solution. Another similar approach that might be considered is to express everything with $x+x^{-1}$. We have expressions of the type



        $$(x+x^{-1})^2=2+(x^2+x^{-2})$$
        $$(x+x^{-1})^3=3(x+x^{-1})+(x^3+x^{-3})$$
        which could be solved for $x^k+x^{-k}$ but I can't see how to get a closed form for a general term. This solution does give you the constant term (reproduces result by @RobertIsrael) but the rest gets complicated due to $()^k$ - we get summations over very strange sets.



        A reference that might be useful - it includes some very similar expressions.







        share|cite|improve this answer












        share|cite|improve this answer



        share|cite|improve this answer










        answered Jan 18 at 14:26









        orionorion

        13.6k11837




        13.6k11837






























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