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Calculate $$S = \sum_{k=1}^n \frac 1{k(k+1)(k+2)}.$$

Mar 20, 2018

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Calculate $$S = \sum_{k=1}^n \frac 1{k(k+1)(k+2)}.$$

$$\begin{array}{|lcll|} \hline S_n = \dfrac{1}{1 \cdot 2 \cdot 3} + \dfrac{1}{2 \cdot 3 \cdot 4} + \dfrac{1}{3 \cdot 4 \cdot 5} + \dfrac{1}{4 \cdot 5 \cdot 6} + \cdots \ + \dfrac{1}{n \cdot (n+1) \cdot (n+2)} \\ \hline \end{array}$$

Formula:

$$\begin{array}{|lcll|} \hline \text{in general}:\ \dfrac{1}{n(n+d)} = \dfrac{1}{d}\left(\dfrac{1}{n}- \dfrac{1}{n+d} \right) \\ \hline \\ \begin{array}{lrcll} \text{we need}: & \dfrac{1}{(n+1)(n+2)} &=& \dfrac{1}{n+1}-\dfrac{1}{n+2} \\\\ & \dfrac{1}{n(n+1)} &=& \dfrac{1}{n}-\dfrac{1}{n+1} \\\\ & \dfrac{1}{n(n+2)} &=& \dfrac{1}{2} \left( \dfrac{1}{n}-\dfrac{1}{n+2} \right) \\ \end{array} \\ \hline \end{array}$$

we rearrange:

$$\begin{array}{|rcll|} \hline \dfrac{1}{n \cdot (n+1) \cdot (n+2)} \\\\ &=& \dfrac{1}{n}\times \dfrac{1}{(n+1) \cdot (n+2)} \\\\ &=& \dfrac{1}{n}\times \left( \dfrac{1}{n+1}-\dfrac{1}{n+2} \right) \\\\ &=& \dfrac{1}{n}\times \dfrac{1}{n+1} - \dfrac{1}{n}\times \dfrac{1}{n+2} \\\\ &=& \left(\dfrac{1}{n}-\dfrac{1}{n+1} \right)- \dfrac{1}{2} \times \left(\dfrac{1}{n} -\dfrac{1}{n+2} \right) \\\\ &=& \dfrac{1}{n} - \dfrac{1}{n+1} -\dfrac{1}{2n} + \dfrac{1}{2(n+2)} \\\\ \mathbf{\dfrac{1}{n \cdot (n+1) \cdot (n+2)} } & \mathbf{=} & \mathbf{ \dfrac{1}{2n} - \dfrac{1}{n+1} + \dfrac{1}{2(n+2)} } \\ \hline \end{array}$$

telescoping series:

$$\begin{array}{|rcll|} \hline S_n &=& \mathbf{\dfrac{1}{2}} &\mathbf{-}& \mathbf{\dfrac{1}{2}} &\color{red}+& \color{red}\dfrac{1}{6} \\\\ &\mathbf{+}& \mathbf{\dfrac{1}{4}} &\color{red}-& \color{red}\dfrac{1}{3} &\color{blue}+& \color{blue}\dfrac{1}{8} \\\\ &\color{red}+& \color{red}\dfrac{1}{6} &\color{blue}-& \color{blue}\dfrac{1}{4} &\color{red}+& \color{red}\dfrac{1}{10} \\\\ &\color{blue}+& \color{blue}\dfrac{1}{8} &\color{red}-& \color{red}\dfrac{1}{5} &\color{green}+& \color{green}\dfrac{1}{12} \\\\ && \ldots \\\\ &+\color{red}& \color{red}\dfrac{1}{2(n-2)} &\color{green}-& \color{green}\dfrac{1}{n-1} &\color{red}+& \color{red}\dfrac{1}{2n} \\\\ &\color{green}+& \color{green}\dfrac{1}{2(n-1)} &\color{red}-& \color{red}\dfrac{1}{n} &\mathbf{+}& \mathbf{\dfrac{1}{2(n+1)}} \\\\ &\color{red}+& \color{red}\dfrac{1}{2n} &\mathbf{-}& \mathbf{\dfrac{1}{n+1}} &\mathbf{+}& \mathbf{\dfrac{1}{2(n+2)}} \\ \hline \end{array}$$

The part of each term cancelling with part of the next two diagonal terms:
Example:

$$\begin{array}{|lcll|} \hline \dfrac{1}{6}-\dfrac{1}{3}+\dfrac{1}{6} = 0 \\\\ \dfrac{1}{8}-\dfrac{1}{4}+\dfrac{1}{8} = 0 \\\\ \dfrac{1}{10}-\dfrac{1}{5}+\dfrac{1}{10} = 0 \\\\ \ldots \\\\ \dfrac{1}{2n}-\dfrac{1}{n} + \dfrac{1}{2n} = 0 \\ \hline \end{array}$$

So $$S_n$$ is, we have all black terms left :

$$\begin{array}{|rcll|} \hline S_n &=& \dfrac{1}{2}-\dfrac{1}{2}+\dfrac{1}{4} + \dfrac{1}{2(n+1)} - \dfrac{1}{n+1} + \dfrac{1}{2(n+2)} \\\\ &=& \dfrac{1}{4} - \dfrac{1}{2(n+1)} + \dfrac{1}{2(n+2)} \\\\ &=& \dfrac{1}{4} - \dfrac{1}{2}\left( \dfrac{1}{n+1} - \dfrac{1}{n+2} \right) \\\\ &=& \dfrac{1}{4} - \dfrac{1}{2}\left( \dfrac{1}{(n+1)(n+2)} \right) \\\\ \mathbf{S_n} &\mathbf{=}& \mathbf{\dfrac{1}{4} - \dfrac{1}{2(n+1)(n+2)} } \\ \hline \end{array}$$

$$\displaystyle \mathbf{ S_n = \sum \limits_{k=1 }^{n} \dfrac 1{k(k+1)(k+2)} = \dfrac{1}{4} - \dfrac{1}{2(n+1)(n+2) } }$$

Mar 20, 2018