Sum of a combination
$begingroup$
i cant find an expression for:
$sum_{k=0}^{lfloor
frac{p}{2}rfloor}$ ${p}choose{k}$
The hint given by the exercise is to do it by seperating the cases where p is odd and even.
What I did so far:
When $p$ is even, $lfloor p/2 rfloor = p/2$, so all we need is find an expression
$sum_{k=0}^{ frac{p}{2}}$ ${p}choose{k}$, which I was not able to do.
When $p$ is odd, there is $q$ so that $p=2q+1$ and $p/2= q +1/2$ which means $lfloor p/2 rfloor = q$, and I really dont know what to do with this.
The previous question was to show that functions that are of the form $ax+b$ are both convex and concave.
I thought that I should try to put some values in to look for a pattern and here is what I have :
for $p$ even :
$p=2, sum_{k=0}^{1}$ ${2}choose{k}$$=1+2=3$
$p=4, sum_{k=0}^{2}$ ${4}choose{k}$$=1+6+4=11$
$p=6, sum_{k=0}^{3}$ ${6}choose{k}$$=1+6+15+20=42$
no apparent pattern.
when p is odd,
$p=1, sum_{k=0}^{0}$ ${1}choose{k}$$=1$
$p=3, sum_{k=0}^{1}$ ${3}choose{k}$$=1+3=4$
$p=5, sum_{k=0}^{2}$ ${5}choose{k}$$=1+5+10=16$
$p=7, sum_{k=0}^{4}$ ${7}choose{k}$$=1+7+21+35+35=99$
No apparent pattern here
Thank you for your help
summation combinations
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
i cant find an expression for:
$sum_{k=0}^{lfloor
frac{p}{2}rfloor}$ ${p}choose{k}$
The hint given by the exercise is to do it by seperating the cases where p is odd and even.
What I did so far:
When $p$ is even, $lfloor p/2 rfloor = p/2$, so all we need is find an expression
$sum_{k=0}^{ frac{p}{2}}$ ${p}choose{k}$, which I was not able to do.
When $p$ is odd, there is $q$ so that $p=2q+1$ and $p/2= q +1/2$ which means $lfloor p/2 rfloor = q$, and I really dont know what to do with this.
The previous question was to show that functions that are of the form $ax+b$ are both convex and concave.
I thought that I should try to put some values in to look for a pattern and here is what I have :
for $p$ even :
$p=2, sum_{k=0}^{1}$ ${2}choose{k}$$=1+2=3$
$p=4, sum_{k=0}^{2}$ ${4}choose{k}$$=1+6+4=11$
$p=6, sum_{k=0}^{3}$ ${6}choose{k}$$=1+6+15+20=42$
no apparent pattern.
when p is odd,
$p=1, sum_{k=0}^{0}$ ${1}choose{k}$$=1$
$p=3, sum_{k=0}^{1}$ ${3}choose{k}$$=1+3=4$
$p=5, sum_{k=0}^{2}$ ${5}choose{k}$$=1+5+10=16$
$p=7, sum_{k=0}^{4}$ ${7}choose{k}$$=1+7+21+35+35=99$
No apparent pattern here
Thank you for your help
summation combinations
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Your calculation for $p=7$ is wrong.
$endgroup$
– Robert Israel
Jan 13 at 21:14
add a comment |
$begingroup$
i cant find an expression for:
$sum_{k=0}^{lfloor
frac{p}{2}rfloor}$ ${p}choose{k}$
The hint given by the exercise is to do it by seperating the cases where p is odd and even.
What I did so far:
When $p$ is even, $lfloor p/2 rfloor = p/2$, so all we need is find an expression
$sum_{k=0}^{ frac{p}{2}}$ ${p}choose{k}$, which I was not able to do.
When $p$ is odd, there is $q$ so that $p=2q+1$ and $p/2= q +1/2$ which means $lfloor p/2 rfloor = q$, and I really dont know what to do with this.
The previous question was to show that functions that are of the form $ax+b$ are both convex and concave.
I thought that I should try to put some values in to look for a pattern and here is what I have :
for $p$ even :
$p=2, sum_{k=0}^{1}$ ${2}choose{k}$$=1+2=3$
$p=4, sum_{k=0}^{2}$ ${4}choose{k}$$=1+6+4=11$
$p=6, sum_{k=0}^{3}$ ${6}choose{k}$$=1+6+15+20=42$
no apparent pattern.
when p is odd,
$p=1, sum_{k=0}^{0}$ ${1}choose{k}$$=1$
$p=3, sum_{k=0}^{1}$ ${3}choose{k}$$=1+3=4$
$p=5, sum_{k=0}^{2}$ ${5}choose{k}$$=1+5+10=16$
$p=7, sum_{k=0}^{4}$ ${7}choose{k}$$=1+7+21+35+35=99$
No apparent pattern here
Thank you for your help
summation combinations
$endgroup$
i cant find an expression for:
$sum_{k=0}^{lfloor
frac{p}{2}rfloor}$ ${p}choose{k}$
The hint given by the exercise is to do it by seperating the cases where p is odd and even.
What I did so far:
When $p$ is even, $lfloor p/2 rfloor = p/2$, so all we need is find an expression
$sum_{k=0}^{ frac{p}{2}}$ ${p}choose{k}$, which I was not able to do.
When $p$ is odd, there is $q$ so that $p=2q+1$ and $p/2= q +1/2$ which means $lfloor p/2 rfloor = q$, and I really dont know what to do with this.
The previous question was to show that functions that are of the form $ax+b$ are both convex and concave.
I thought that I should try to put some values in to look for a pattern and here is what I have :
for $p$ even :
$p=2, sum_{k=0}^{1}$ ${2}choose{k}$$=1+2=3$
$p=4, sum_{k=0}^{2}$ ${4}choose{k}$$=1+6+4=11$
$p=6, sum_{k=0}^{3}$ ${6}choose{k}$$=1+6+15+20=42$
no apparent pattern.
when p is odd,
$p=1, sum_{k=0}^{0}$ ${1}choose{k}$$=1$
$p=3, sum_{k=0}^{1}$ ${3}choose{k}$$=1+3=4$
$p=5, sum_{k=0}^{2}$ ${5}choose{k}$$=1+5+10=16$
$p=7, sum_{k=0}^{4}$ ${7}choose{k}$$=1+7+21+35+35=99$
No apparent pattern here
Thank you for your help
summation combinations
summation combinations
asked Jan 13 at 20:52
user310148user310148
43
43
1
$begingroup$
Your calculation for $p=7$ is wrong.
$endgroup$
– Robert Israel
Jan 13 at 21:14
add a comment |
1
$begingroup$
Your calculation for $p=7$ is wrong.
$endgroup$
– Robert Israel
Jan 13 at 21:14
1
1
$begingroup$
Your calculation for $p=7$ is wrong.
$endgroup$
– Robert Israel
Jan 13 at 21:14
$begingroup$
Your calculation for $p=7$ is wrong.
$endgroup$
– Robert Israel
Jan 13 at 21:14
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
We have ${p choose k} = {p choose p-k}$, so
$$ sum_{k=0}^{lfloor p/2 rfloor} {p choose k} = sum_{k = p - lfloor p/2 rfloor}^p {p choose k}$$
Thus if $p$ is odd, ${0, ldots, lfloor p/2 rfloor }$ and ${p - lfloor p/2 rfloor, ldots, p}$ are disjoint and their union is ${0, ldots, p}$, so using the binomial theorem your sum is $2^{p-1}$.
If $p$ is even, $p/2$ is in both sets, so your sum is $2^{p-1} + {p choose p/2}/2$.
$endgroup$
add a comment |
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$begingroup$
We have ${p choose k} = {p choose p-k}$, so
$$ sum_{k=0}^{lfloor p/2 rfloor} {p choose k} = sum_{k = p - lfloor p/2 rfloor}^p {p choose k}$$
Thus if $p$ is odd, ${0, ldots, lfloor p/2 rfloor }$ and ${p - lfloor p/2 rfloor, ldots, p}$ are disjoint and their union is ${0, ldots, p}$, so using the binomial theorem your sum is $2^{p-1}$.
If $p$ is even, $p/2$ is in both sets, so your sum is $2^{p-1} + {p choose p/2}/2$.
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
We have ${p choose k} = {p choose p-k}$, so
$$ sum_{k=0}^{lfloor p/2 rfloor} {p choose k} = sum_{k = p - lfloor p/2 rfloor}^p {p choose k}$$
Thus if $p$ is odd, ${0, ldots, lfloor p/2 rfloor }$ and ${p - lfloor p/2 rfloor, ldots, p}$ are disjoint and their union is ${0, ldots, p}$, so using the binomial theorem your sum is $2^{p-1}$.
If $p$ is even, $p/2$ is in both sets, so your sum is $2^{p-1} + {p choose p/2}/2$.
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
We have ${p choose k} = {p choose p-k}$, so
$$ sum_{k=0}^{lfloor p/2 rfloor} {p choose k} = sum_{k = p - lfloor p/2 rfloor}^p {p choose k}$$
Thus if $p$ is odd, ${0, ldots, lfloor p/2 rfloor }$ and ${p - lfloor p/2 rfloor, ldots, p}$ are disjoint and their union is ${0, ldots, p}$, so using the binomial theorem your sum is $2^{p-1}$.
If $p$ is even, $p/2$ is in both sets, so your sum is $2^{p-1} + {p choose p/2}/2$.
$endgroup$
We have ${p choose k} = {p choose p-k}$, so
$$ sum_{k=0}^{lfloor p/2 rfloor} {p choose k} = sum_{k = p - lfloor p/2 rfloor}^p {p choose k}$$
Thus if $p$ is odd, ${0, ldots, lfloor p/2 rfloor }$ and ${p - lfloor p/2 rfloor, ldots, p}$ are disjoint and their union is ${0, ldots, p}$, so using the binomial theorem your sum is $2^{p-1}$.
If $p$ is even, $p/2$ is in both sets, so your sum is $2^{p-1} + {p choose p/2}/2$.
answered Jan 13 at 21:13
Robert IsraelRobert Israel
328k23216469
328k23216469
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1
$begingroup$
Your calculation for $p=7$ is wrong.
$endgroup$
– Robert Israel
Jan 13 at 21:14