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Before here @math.SE there was a question regarding a problem on a maths magazine. I decided to look at the link provided, and one problem proposed was (if I'm not recalling this wrongly):

Find $$\sum\limits_{n = 0}^\infty {{{\left( { - 1} \right)}^n}\left[ {f\left( x \right) - {T_n}\left( x \right)} \right]} $$

I'm most certain it was from the MMA.

Is this the correct wording of the problem? If so, any hints on how to solve it? I'm thinking of using the integral form of the remainder, but since I don't really know what the problem really was, I can't move on.

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    What are $f$ and $T_n$?2012-05-10
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    @BrianM.Scott A probably not so arbitrary function $f$ and its Taylor polynomial approximation.2012-05-10
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    Yes, I could (with some thought) guess that, but it really ought to be in the problem statement.2012-05-10
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    @BrianM.Scott Maybe it was AMS or Mathematical Monthly2012-05-10

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I am assuming that $$ T_n(x)=\sum_{k=0}^nf^{(k)}(0)\frac{x^k}{k!}\tag{1} $$ Then, for $x$ inside the radius of convergence of $f(x)$ about $x=0$, $$ \begin{align} \sum_{n=0}^\infty(-1)^n[f\left(x\right)-T_n(x)] &=\sum_{n=0}^\infty(-1)^n\sum_{k=n+1}^\infty f^{(k)}(0)\frac{x^k}{k!}\\ &=\sum_{k=1}^\infty\sum_{n=0}^{k-1}(-1)^n f^{(k)}(0)\frac{x^k}{k!}\\ &=\sum_{k=1}^\infty\frac{1-(-1)^k}{2}f^{(k)}(0)\frac{x^k}{k!}\\ &=\frac12\left(\sum_{k=0}^\infty f^{(k)}(0)\frac{x^k}{k!}-f^{(k)}(0)\frac{(-x)^k}{k!}\right)\\ &=\frac{f(x)-f(-x)}{2}\tag{2} \end{align} $$ which is the odd part of $f$.


Prompted by a question from Peter Tamaroff, let's consider what would happen if the Taylor series were taken about $x=a$. Following the same logic as above we would get $$ \begin{align} \sum_{n=0}^\infty(-1)^n[f\left(x\right)-T_n(x)] &=\frac12\left(\sum_{k=0}^\infty f^{(k)}(a)\frac{(x-a)^k}{k!}-f^{(k)}(a)\frac{(a-x)^k}{k!}\right)\\ &=\frac12\left(\sum_{k=0}^\infty f^{(k)}(a)\frac{(x-a)^k}{k!}-f^{(k)}(a)\frac{((2a-x)-a)^k}{k!}\right)\\ &=\frac{f(x)-f(2a-x)}{2}\tag{3} \end{align} $$

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    Would the solution be similar if the Taylor series was around $a$?2012-05-10
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    @Peter: If the Taylor series were about $x=a$, then we would get $\dfrac{f(x)-f(2a-x)}{2}$.2012-05-10
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Assuming $f(x) = \sum_{k=0}^\infty c_k x^k$ is an analytic function and $T_n(x) = \sum_{k=0}^n c_k x^k$ is the Maclaurin polynomial of degree $n$, and $|x|$ is less than the radius of convergence, we have a bound $|c_k x^k| < A r^k$ where $r < 1$. The series then converges absolutely. Now $c_k x^k$ occurs in $(-1)^n (f(x) - T_n(x))$ with coefficient $(-1)^n$ if and only if $k > n$. Since $\sum_{n=0}^{k-1} (-1)^n = 1$ if $k$ is odd and $0$ if $k$ is even, the answer is $\sum_{k\ \text{odd}} c_k x^k = (f(x) - f(-x))/2$.