Creating a power series using long division

burt

Full Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2019
Messages
254
How can you write a power series for \(\frac{1}{(1-x^2)}\) using long division?
 
divide :p

[MATH]\dfrac{1}{1-x^2} = 1 \text{ with remainder $x^2$}\\ \dfrac{x^2}{1-x^2} = x^2 \text{ with remainder $x^4$}\\ \dfrac{x^4}{1-x^2} = x^4 \text{ with remainder $x^6$}\\ \text{etc}[/MATH]
looks like you'll end up with [MATH]\dfrac{1}{1- x^2} = \sum \limits_{k=1}^\infty x^{2k}[/MATH]
 
divide :p

[MATH]\dfrac{1}{1-x^2} = 1 \text{ with remainder $x^2$}\\ \dfrac{x^2}{1-x^2} = x^2 \text{ with remainder $x^4$}\\ \dfrac{x^4}{1-x^2} = x^4 \text{ with remainder $x^6$}\\ \text{etc}[/MATH]
looks like you'll end up with [MATH]\dfrac{1}{1- x^2} = \sum \limits_{k=1}^\infty x^{2k}[/MATH]
So \(\frac{1}{1-x^2}=x^2+x^4+x^6...\)?
 
So \(\frac{1}{1-x^2}=x^2+x^4+x^6...\)?
NO!

You lost the leading 1 of the series!! I was hoping you would catch it by now.......

Also the expansion would be valid only when x < 1 (otherwise the summation will not converge and the series cannot be terminated).
 
Top