Let a1,a2,a3,… be a sequence of positive real numbers that satisfies n=k∑∞(kn)an=5k1 for all positive integers k. The value of a1−a2+a3−a4+⋯ can be expressed as ba, where a,b are relatively prime positive integers. Compute 100a+b.
A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.
Solution
Let Sk=5k1. In order to get the coefficient of a2 to be -1, we need to have S1−3S3. This subtraction makes the coefficient of a3 become -6. Therefore, we need to add 7S3 to make the coefficient of a4 equal to 1. The coefficient of a4 in S1−3S3+7S5 is 14, so we must subtract 15S4. We can continue to pattern to get that we want to compute S1−3S2+7S3−15S4+31S5−⋯. To prove that this alternating sum equals a1−a2+a3−a4+⋯, it suffices to show i=1∑n(−(−2)i+(−1)i)(in)=(−1)i+1 To see this is true, note that the left hand side equals −(1−2)i+(1−1)i=(−1)i+1 by binomial expansion. (We may rearrange the sums since the positivity of the ai 's guarantee absolute convergence.) Now, all that is left to do is to compute i=1∑∞5i(2i−1)(−1)i−1=i=1∑∞5i(−1)i−i=1∑∞5i(−2)i=1−5−15−1−1−5−25−2=425
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