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There is a step in a proof I don't understand.

$(\prod_{i\in K} p_{i}^{min(a_{i},b_{i})})\cdot (\prod_{i\in K, 1\leq i\leq k} p_{i}^{min(a_{i},b_{i})}) = \prod_{1\leq i\leq k} p_{i}^{min(a_{i},b_{i})}$

I'm not so sure what $\prod_{i\in K}$ and $\prod_{i\in K, 1\leq i\leq k}$ means.

Is there someone who can explain what is going on?

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    This is analogous to the $\sum$ notation for sum: $\sum_{i=1}^3 i^2 = 1^2+2^2+3^2$.2011-09-07

1 Answers 1

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Is $K$ maybe some set of whole numbers, like $K = \{ 1,5,7 \}$? Say we've got a collection $a_1, a_2, \ldots$ of numbers. Then $\prod _{i \in K} a_i$ would mean $a_1a_5a_7$. The second product is over all elements of $K$ between $1$ and $k$. Say $k=6$ and $K$ is as before. Then $ \prod _{i \in K, 1 \leq i \leq k} a_i$ is $a_1 a_5$.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplication#Capital_Pi_notation might be helpful.