Sequences and summations

Milos Hauskrecht
milos@cs.pitt.edu
5329 Sennott Square

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

Sequences
Definition: A sequence is a function from a subset of the set of
integers (typically the set {0,1,2,...} or the set {1,2,3,...} to a set
S. We use the notation an to denote the image of the integer n.
We call an a term of the sequence.
Notation: {an} is used to represent the sequence (note {} is the
same notation used for sets, so be careful). {an} represents the
ordered list a1, a2, a3, ... .

1 2 3 4 5 6 ….

a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6 ….

{an}
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 Sequences
Examples:
• (1) an = n2, where n = 1,2,3...
– What are the elements of the sequence?
1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ...
• (2) an = (-1) n, where n=0,1,2,3,...
– Elements of the sequence?
1, -1, 1, -1, 1, ...
• 3) an = 2 n, where n=0,1,2,3,...
– Elements of the sequence?
1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ...

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

Arithmetic progression
Definition: An arithmetic progression is a sequence of the form
a, a+d,a+2d, …, a+nd
where a is the initial term and d is common difference, such that
both belong to R.

Example:
• sn= -1+4n for n=0,1,2,3, …
• members: -1, 3, 7, 11, …

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

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 Geometric progression
Definition A geometric progression is a sequence of the form:
a, ar, ar2, ..., ark,
where a is the initial term, and r is the common ratio. Both a and r
belong to R.

Example:
• an = ( ½ )n for n = 0,1,2,3, …
members: 1,½, ¼, 1/8, …..

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

Sequences
• Given a sequence finding a rule for generating the sequence is
not always straightforward

Example:
• Assume the sequence: 1,3,5,7,9, ….
• What is the formula for the sequence?
• Each term is obtained by adding 2 to the previous term.
1, 1+2=3, 3+2=5, 5+2=7
• What type of progression this suggest?

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

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 Sequences
• Given a sequence finding a rule for generating the sequence is
not always straightforward

Example:
• Assume the sequence: 1,3,5,7,9, ….
• What is the formula for the sequence?
• Each term is obtained by adding 2 to the previous term.
• 1, 1+2=3, 3+2=5, 5+2=7
• It suggests an arithmetic progression: a+nd
with a=1 and d=2
• an=1+2n

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

Sequences
• Given a sequence finding a rule for generating the sequence is
not always straightforward

Example 2:
• Assume the sequence: 1, 1/3, 1/9, 1/27, …
• What is the sequence?
• The denominators are powers of 3.
1, 1/3= 1/3, (1/3)/3=1/(3*3)=1/9, (1/9)/3=1/27
• This suggests a geometric progression: ark
with a=1 and r=1/3
• (1/3 )n

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

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 Recursively defined sequences
• The n-th element of the sequence {an} is defined recursively in
terms of the previous elements of the sequence and the initial
elements of the sequence.

Example :
• an = an-1 + 2 assuming a0 = 1;
• a0 = 1;
• a1 = 3;
• a2 = 5;
• a3 = 7;
• Can you write an non-recursively using n?
• an = 1 + 2n

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

Fibonacci sequence
• Recursively defined sequence, where
• f0 = 0;
• f1 = 1;
• fn = fn-1 + fn-2 for n = 2,3, …

• f2 = 1
• f3 = 2
• f4 = 3
• f5 = 5

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 Summations
Summation of the terms of a sequence:
n

a j  a m  a m  1  ...  a n
jm

The variable j is referred to as the index of summation.

• m is the lower limit and
• n is the upper limit of the summation.

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

Summations
Example:
• 1) Sum the first 7 terms of {n2} where n=1,2,3, ... .
• 7 7

j 1
a j   j 2 1  4  16  25  36  49  140
j 1

• 2) What is the value of

8 8

k4
a j   (  1) j 1  (  1)  1  (  1)  1  1
k4

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

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 Arithmetic series
Definition: The sum of the terms of the arithmetic progression
a, a+d,a+2d, …, a+nd is called an arithmetic series.

Theorem: The sum of the terms of the arithmetic progression

a, a+d,a+2d, …, a+nd is
n(n  1)
 j  na  d
n n
S   (a  jd )  na  d 
j 1 j 1 2

• Why?

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

Arithmetic series
Theorem: The sum of the terms of the arithmetic progression
a, a+d,a+2d, …, a+nd is
n(n  1)
 j  na  d
n n
S   (a  jd )  na  d 
j 1 j 1 2
Proof:
n n n n
S  (a  jd )  a  jd  na  d j
j 1 j 1 j 1 j 1

 j  1 2  3  4  ....  (n  2)  (n 1)  n
j 1

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

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 Arithmetic series
Theorem: The sum of the terms of the arithmetic progression
a, a+d,a+2d, …, a+nd is
n(n  1)
 j  na  d
n n
S   (a  jd )  na  d 
j 1 j 1 2
Proof: n n n n
S  (a  jd )  a  jd  na  d j
j 1 j 1 j 1 j 1

 j  1 2  3  4  ....  (n  2)  (n 1)  n
j 1

n+1 n+1 … n+1

n
*(n 1)
2
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Arithmetic series
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Example: S  (2  j3) 
j 1
5 5
 2  j3 
j 1 j 1

5 5
 21 3 j 
j 1 j 1

5
 2*5  3 j 
j 1

(5 1)
 10  3 *5 
2

 10  45  55

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

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 Arithmetic series
5
Example 2: S  (2  j3) 
j 3

 5
  2 
 (2  j3)   (2  j3)  Trick
 j 1   j 1 
 5 5   2 2 
 21 3 j   21 3 j 
 j 1 j 1   j 1 j 1 

 55 13  42

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

Double summations
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Example: S  (2i  j) 
i1 j 1
4 2 2

  2i   j  
i1  j 1 j 1 
4  2 2 
 2i1 j 
i1  j 1 j 1 
4  2

 2i * 2  j 
i1  j 1 
4
 2i * 2  3 
i1
4 4
 4i 3 
i1 i1
4 4
 4 i  31  4*10  3* 4  28
i1 i1

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 Geometric series
Definition: The sum of the terms of a geometric progression a, ar,
ar2, ..., ark is called a geometric series.

Theorem: The sum of the terms of a geometric progression a, ar,

ar2, ..., arn is
n n
 rn1 1
S  (ar j )  ar j a 
j 0 j 0  r 1 

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

Geometric series
Theorem: The sum of the terms of a geometric progression a, ar,
ar2, ..., arn is n n
 rn1 1
S  (ar j )  a r j a 
j 0 j 0  r 1 
Proof: n
S  ar j  a  ar  ar 2  ar3  ...  arn
j 0

• multiply S by r
n
rS  rar j  ar  ar 2  ar3  ...  arn1 j
0

• Substract rS  S  ar  ar 2  ar 3  ...  ar n1  a  ar  ar 2 ..  ar n 

 arn1  a
arn1  a  rn1 1
S   a 
r 1  r 1 
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 Geometric series
Example: 3
S  2(5) j 
j 0

General formula:
n n
 rn1 1
S  (ar j )  a r j a 
j 0 j 0  r 1 
3
54 1 
S  2(5) j 2* 
j 0 5 1

625 1 624
 2*  2*  2*156  312
4 4

CS 441 Discrete mathematics for CS M. Hauskrecht

Infinite geometric series

• Infinite geometric series can be computed in the closed form
for x<1
• How?
 k
x k 1  1
 x  lim k   xn  lim
1 1
n
k    
n0 n0 x1 x 1 1  x

• Thus:

1

n0
xn 
1x

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