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for questions about sequences and series, e.g. convergence, closed form expressions, etc. Note that there is a different tag for spectral sequences, and also note that MathOverflow is not for homework. Please consider consulting the online encyclopedia for integer sequences, if you are trying to identify a given sequence that you have found in your research.

10 votes

The coefficient of a specific monomial of the following polynomial

The coefficient is always zero. I use the superb conventions of Concrete Mathematics: Sums are over all integers unless otherwise indicated, and $\binom{n}{k}$ is $0$ if $k<0$ or $>n \geq 0$. Expandi …
David E Speyer's user avatar
6 votes

If two functions are equal to their Newton series, is their composition also equal to its Ne...

Another counter-example is extractable from Gerald Edgar's answer to this question, where he shows that $\sin (ax)$ is discrete analytic for $a \in (-\pi/3, \pi/3)$. So take $ f(x) = \sin ((\pi/4) x)$ …
David E Speyer's user avatar
7 votes
Accepted

Angle between two given vector is small. Can we permute coordinates of them such that new ve...

No. Let $$\vec{x} = \vec{y} = \frac{1}{\sqrt{12+6 \sqrt{3}}} (-2-\sqrt{3},1,1+\sqrt{3}).$$ So $\vec{x} \cdot \vec{y} = 1$, but $x_1 y_2+x_2 y_1 + x_3 y_3=0$.
David E Speyer's user avatar
8 votes
Accepted

Defining $\{a_i\}$ as $(1+x+⋯+x^k)^n =\sum_{i=0}^{kn}a_ix^i$, then is the 'special' differen...

UPDATE I now have a complete proof. I'll start with the Pascal's triangle case. For any sequence of real numbers $r=(r_1, r_2, \ldots, r_k)$, define the number of sign changes of $r$ as follows: Dele …
David E Speyer's user avatar
4 votes

Can an infinite sequence of integers generate integer-area triangles?

I'll throw out a dumb idea: can anyone find a rational point on $$y^2 = - (x^2-x+1)(x^2+x+1)(x^2-x-1)(x^2+x-1)?$$ UPDATE: The above formula used to have a sign error, which I have just fixed, and Bj …
David E Speyer's user avatar
1 vote

Seeking for a formula or an expression to generate non-repeatative random number ..

I haven't used EXCEL in forever, but here is how I would implement the Knuth shuffle in what I would think of as a generic spreadsheet. I want two 1-dimensional arrays, which I will call $x[i]$ and $y …
David E Speyer's user avatar
6 votes

Is $ \sum\limits_{n=0}^\infty x^n / \sqrt{n!} $ positive?

This comment serves to record a partial attempt, which didn't get very far but might be useful to others. Following a suggestion of Mark Wildon and Arthur B, define $$f_n(\alpha) := \sum (-1)^r \binom …
10 votes

A possible surprise involving Euler's constant $e$

Sure. $$c_n = \frac{1}{n+1} + \frac{1}{(n+1)(n+2)}+ \frac{1}{(n+1)(n+2)(n+3)} \cdots$$ so $$\frac{1}{n+1} < c_n < \frac{1}{n+1}+\frac{1}{(n+1)^2}+\frac{1}{(n+1)^3}+\cdots = \frac{1}{n}.$$ That prov …
David E Speyer's user avatar
26 votes
Accepted

"Are you taller than the average of those who are taller than the average?"

As in Nate's answer, we are interested in iterating the function $$G(y) := \frac{ \int_{y}^{\infty} x e^{- x^2} dx}{\int_{y}^{\infty} e^{- x^2} }.$$ The numerator is $e^{-y^2}/2$ (elementary). The de …
David E Speyer's user avatar
20 votes

Does this sequence always give an integer?

This is the special case $(p,q,r)=(1,2,3)$ of the $3$-term Gale-Robinson recurrence: $$x_{n+p+q+r} x_n = x_{n+p} x_{n+q+r} + x_{n+q} x_{n+p+r} + x_{n+p+q} x_{n+r}$$ Fomin and Zelevinsky proved that, …
David E Speyer's user avatar
8 votes

When is there a closed form for $\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{P(n)}{Q(n)}$?

As GH from MO says, it depends what you think is a closed form. Any function of the form $P(n)/Q(n)$ with $\deg P \leq \deg Q -2$ can be written as a linear combination of $1/(n+1) - 1/(n+\alpha)$ an …
David E Speyer's user avatar
4 votes

Extremal problem for sequences

The ratio $\sqrt{2}/2$ is optimal. Set $$a_n = \binom{n-7/4}{n-1} r^n \ \mbox{for} \ n \geq 1.$$ Let $Y(r)$ and $X(r)$ be the corresponding sums. I claim that $$ \lim_{r \to 1^-} \frac{X(r)}{Y(r)} = …
David E Speyer's user avatar
1 vote
Accepted

A complex sequence with positive values

No. Consider the matrix $$\begin{pmatrix} 7 & 8 & 4 & 4 & 0 \\ 0 & 7 & 4 & 4 & 0 \\ 4 & 4 & 7 & 8 & 0 \\ 4 & 4 & 0 & 7 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 5 \\ \end{pmatrix}$$ The eigenvalues are $3 \pm 4i$, $11 …
David E Speyer's user avatar
9 votes

Optimal Talmudic Zigzag

This is a special case of finding the longest path in a directed acyclic graph. Namely, the vertices of our graph are $1$, $2$, ..., $n$, there is an edge $i \to j$ for each $i<j$ and the length of th …
David E Speyer's user avatar
4 votes
Accepted

On one class of Somos-like sequences

I believe this is a special case of Case (9) in Theorem 3.9 of Allman, Cuenca and Huang. By the way, this paper was an REU project!
David E Speyer's user avatar

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