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Quick summation - Math question

Originally posted by: demon42
inf.
------,
\ ' 9
/ , 10^i
------'
i = 0

Is this exactly equal to 1?
No. That won't be equal to 1.0. (You are off by a decimal point).

And why not just ask if 9.99999 = 10?
 
if X is the sum:

i = 0; x = 9
i = 1; x = .9
i = 2; x = .09
i = 3; x = .009
and so on
9.999...
 
Originally posted by: dullard
No. That won't be equal to 1.0. (You are off by a decimal point).

And why not just ask if 9.99999 = 10?

sorry, i meant startig at i=1

i would have thought yes, given that the value is infinitely closer to 1... but that's just wrong?
 
Originally posted by: demon42
sorry, i meant startig at i=1
Then yes, if you have an infinite number of terms, it is equal to 1. If you don't have an infinite number of terms, it is not equal to 1.

 
take the constant outside of your sum, and see what it resembles...

sum(i=0,2)
= 9/1 + 9/10 + 9/100
= 900/100 + 90/100 + 9/100
= 999/100
= 9(111/100)
= 9(100/100 + 10/100 + 1/100)
= 9(1/1 + 1/10 + 1/100)

Not too tough to figure out a series from there, I think...

Edit: Since it's from 1 to inf, just change your series calculation, I'm leaving the original cause I'm lazy.
 
Originally posted by: dullard
And why not just ask if 9.99999 = 10?

Or even sum(9/10^i) from i=1 to infinity.

Anyway, there are several proofs (and a good deal else) on Wikipedia. There was a thread in HT not too long ago, but damned if I can find it.
 
OMG! No idiots yet.
<pulls up lawnchair, starts the bbq and cracks open a beer>
<waits for idiots to swarm into this thread claiming that it's .000...001 less than 1>

Hmmm... on second thought, the title of the thread might just keep them away! 😀
 
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