Why is ((n),(k)) for fixed n not Gosper summable?

listgrein6u

listgrein6u

Answered question

2022-09-06

Why is ( n k ) for fixed n not Gosper summable?
I am trying to understand the book A = B which has many much more complicated expressions which are Gosper-summable but then on p. 102 he states ( n k ) for fixed n as a function of k is not Gosper-summable. How can this be? Can someone show why it is not Gosper-summable?

Answer & Explanation

Yaritza Cardenas

Yaritza Cardenas

Beginner2022-09-07Added 20 answers

Step 1
Gosper's algorithm can only find a formula for
S ( k ) = i = 0 k ( n i )
if it turns out that S(k) is itself a hypergeometric term: if S ( k + 1 ) S ( k ) is a rational function of k.
Step 2
However, for k n, S ( k + 1 ) S ( k ) = 2 n 2 n = 1, so if it were a rational function, it would be equal to 1 everywhere (aside possibly from places it's not defined). That's not what it does. Therefore it's not a rational function, S(k) is not a hypergeometric term, and a series with partial sums S(k) is not Gosper-summable.
In general, whenever we have a series with only finitely many nonzero terms (as we do here), it can only be Gosper-summable if the infinite sum over all terms is 0. In that case, we can't carry out the argument above, because we can't say "our rational function is equal to 0 0 = 1 at infinitely many points".
Skye Hamilton

Skye Hamilton

Beginner2022-09-08Added 14 answers

Step 1
I try an alternate proof and write the sum as n = 0 m ( p n ) for m,p arbitrary large positive integers p > m. Per the book A = B denote the summand by t n = ( p n ) and r ( n ) = t n + 1 t n = p n n + 1 here. On p75 eq.(5.2.3) is stated assume can write
r ( n ) = a ( n ) c ( n + 1 ) b ( n ) c ( n )
where a,b,c polynomials in n and g c d ( a ( n ) , b ( n + h ) ) = 1 for all integers h > 1 and I find a = p n , b = n + 1 , c = 1 as the lowest order or only? possibility. Anyway it goes on... and per p76 it requires a finite polynomial solution x to
a ( n ) x ( n + 1 ) b ( n 1 ) x ( n ) = c ( n )
which in this case is
( p n ) x ( n + 1 ) n x ( n ) = 1
and if such a polynomial x(n) cannot be found then Gosper's method fails. Though I can't prove it rigorously it seems in this case such a polynomial does not exist for the only possibilities would be x = c s t which obviously does not satisfy or else of order >zero in which case the coeff. of the highest order term on lhs would have to be 0 which is not the case either so conclude Gosper's method fails so n = 0 m ( p n ) is not Gosper summable ? For more detail the book is on the internet and can be found by searching 'book A = B' eg on google. By the way per Gosper's basic method it must satisfy 1st order recurrence. It seems to me for most practical applications the cases where Gosper's method works are very limited.

Do you have a similar question?

Recalculate according to your conditions!

New Questions in Discrete math

Ask your question.
Get an expert answer.

Let our experts help you. Answer in as fast as 15 minutes.

Didn't find what you were looking for?