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Re: Unknown Sum of Series

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg63680] Re: Unknown Sum of Series
  • From: Paul Abbott <paul at physics.uwa.edu.au>
  • Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 04:50:10 -0500 (EST)
  • Organization: The University of Western Australia
  • References: <dpb3vu$9tg$1@smc.vnet.net>
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

In article <dpb3vu$9tg$1 at smc.vnet.net>,
 "Klaus G." <Karl_boehme_9 at msn.com> wrote:

> Mathematica 5.0 is not able to compute the symbolic sum:
> 
> Sum[(-1)^(1 + n)*(E - ( 1 + (1/n))^n ), {n, 1, Infinity}]
> 
> However, Nsum[...] results in 0.4456224031968407..
> 
> I tried http://oldweb.cecm.sfu.ca/projects/ISC/ to find hidden
> constants in that number like Pi or E, but without success.
> 
> Any idea?

Since

  (1 + (1/n))^n == Exp[n Log[1 + 1/n]]

then using the generating function for Stirling Numbers of the first kind

 http://functions.wolfram.com/04.14.11.0005.01

I can find a formal representation for this sum as

  (1/2) Log[2] E + 
    Sum[StirlingS1[p + l, l]/(p + l)! (2^(1 - p) - 1) Zeta[p], 
      {l, 0, Infinity}, {p, 2, Infinity}]

However, the convergence of this double sum is very slow and is probably 
not useful to you.

Cheers,
Paul

_______________________________________________________________________
Paul Abbott                                      Phone:  61 8 6488 2734
School of Physics, M013                            Fax: +61 8 6488 1014
The University of Western Australia         (CRICOS Provider No 00126G)    
AUSTRALIA                               http://physics.uwa.edu.au/~paul


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