Introduction

Summation Notation
Product Notation
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1

Mathematical Sequences

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Summation Notation Terminology
Product Notation Explicit Formulas for Sequences
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

A sequence is a function whose domain is either all of the

integers between two given integers, or all of the integers greater
than or equal to a given integer. Here is a sequence:

am , am+1 , am+2 , . . . , an

Each element ak of the sequence is a term of the sequence.

The k in ak is the subscript or index of the term a.
m (which may be any integer) is the index of the initial term.
n (which must be an integer greater than or equal to m) is the
index of the final term.
The following is an infinite sequence:

am , am+1 , am+2 , . . .

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Summation Notation Terminology
Product Notation Explicit Formulas for Sequences
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

An explicit formula or general formula for a sequence is a rule

that shows how the values of ak depend on k. Different formulas
may result in the same sequence:
k
ak = for every integer k ≥ 1
k +1
i −1
bi = for every integer i ≥ 2
i
1 1 2−1 1
a1 = = b2 = =
1+1 2 2 2
2 2 3−1 2
a2 = = b3 = =
2+1 3 3 3
3 3 4−1 3
a3 = = b4 = =
3+1 4 4 4
4 4 5−1 4
a4 = = b5 = =
4+1 5 5 5
Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Summation Notation Terminology
Product Notation Explicit Formulas for Sequences
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

An infinite sequence may have a finite number of values:

cj = (−1)j for every integer j ≥ 0

c0 = (−1)0 = 1
c1 = (−1)1 = −1
c2 = (−1)2 = 1
c3 = (−1)3 = −1
c4 = (−1)4 = 1
c5 = (−1)5 = −1
.
.
.
.

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Summation Notation Terminology
Product Notation Explicit Formulas for Sequences
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

We can find explicit formulas for given initial terms:

1 1 1 1 1
1, − , , − , , − ,....
4 9 16 25 36
Start by denoting the general term of the sequence by ak , and
then suppose that the initial term is a1 .
Note that the denominator of each term is a perfect square.
Hence:
1 −1 1 −1 1 −1
a1 = 2
, a2 = 2 , a3 = 2 , a4 = 2 , a5 = 2 , a6 = 2
1 2 3 4 5 6
The denominator of each term is identical to the square of the
index of that term, and the numerator is identical to ±1:
±1
ak =
k2

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Summation Notation Terminology
Product Notation Explicit Formulas for Sequences
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

The numerator oscillates between +1 and −1. +1 when k is odd,

and −1 when k is even.
To get this, insert (−1)k+1 into the numerator of the formula for
ak :
(−1)k+1
ak = (1)
k2
(−1)k+1 works because:

When k is odd, k + 1 is even, hence (−1)k+1 = +1, and

When k is even, k + 1 is odd, hence (−1)k+1 = −1.

So, the explicit formula (1) above is the correct first six terms of
the sequence ak .

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Terminology
Summation Notation
Examples and Conversions
Product Notation
Separating Off the Final Term of a Summation
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

Long sums can be written in shorthand summation notation:

n
X
ak = am + am+1 + am+2 + . . . + an .
k=m

The right hand side is the expanded form of the sum.

k is the index of the summation.
m is the lower limit of the summation.
n is the upper limit of the summation.
The left hand side is read is the summation from k equals m to
n of a-sub-k.

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Terminology
Summation Notation
Examples and Conversions
Product Notation
Separating Off the Final Term of a Summation
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

Let a1 = −2, a2 = −1, a3 = 0, a4 = 1, and a5 = 2

1
X
ak = −2
k=1
2
X
ak = a1 + a2 = (−1) + (−2) = −3
k=1
5
X
3ak = 3 · a4 + 3 · a5 = (3 · 1) + (3 · 2) = 9
k=4
5
X
(ak )2 = (a1 )2 + (a2 )2 + (a3 )2 + (a4 )2 + (a5 )2 =
k=1

(-2)2 + (−1)2 + (0)2 + (1)2 + (2)2 = 10

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Terminology
Summation Notation
Examples and Conversions
Product Notation
Separating Off the Final Term of a Summation
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

We can convert from expanded forms to summation notation:

1 2 3 n+1
+ + + ... +
n n+1 n+2 2n
i +1
The general term of this summation is for every integer i
n+i
from 0 to 1, hence:
n
1 2 3 n+1 X i +1
+ + + ... + =
n n+1 n+2 2n n+i
i=0

Note that the top index n acts like a free variable, as it may be
replaced by any integer greater than or equal to the bottom index.
For any particular statement, the top index works like a constant.
However, when the top index appears in the term for a summation,
is bound by the summation.
Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Terminology
Summation Notation
Examples and Conversions
Product Notation
Separating Off the Final Term of a Summation
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

A recursive definition of summation is given my specifying the

initial case, and then separating off the final term of the
summation. For any integer m:
m
X n
X n−1
X
ak = am and ak = ak + an for every integer n > m.
k=m k=m k=m

Observe:
n n+1
!
X X
k
2 + 2n+1 = (20 + 21 + 22 + . . . + 2n ) + 2n+1 = 2k
k=0 k=0

n+1 n
!
X 1 1 1 1 1 1 X 1 1
2
= 2 + 2 + 2 +. . .+ 2 + = +
i 1 2 3 n (n + 1)2 i2 (n + 1)2
i=1 i=1

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Terminology
Summation Notation
Examples
Product Notation
Properties of Summation and Product
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

Product notation works analogously to summation notation:

5
Y
ak = a1 a2 a3 a4 a5
k=1

Where m and n are integers and m ≤ n, The left hand side is read
as the product from k equals m to n of a-sub-k:
n
Y
ak = am · am+1 · am+2 . . . an
k=m

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Terminology
Summation Notation
Examples
Product Notation
Properties of Summation and Product
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

A recursive definition of product notation is as follows:

m
Y n
Y n−1
Y
ak = am and ak = ( ak ) · an
k=m k=m k=m

Examples:
3
Y
k =1·2·3=6
k=1
2
Y k 1 2 1 2
= · = ·
k +1 1+1 2+1 2
k=1

equation

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Terminology
Summation Notation
Examples
Product Notation
Properties of Summation and Product
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

Where am , am+1 , am+2 . . . and bm , bm+1 , bm+2 . . . are sequences

of real numbers, and c is any real number, then the following
equations are true for any integer n ≥ m:
n
X n
X n
X
ak + bk = (ak + bk )
k=m k=m k=m
n
X n
X
c· ak = (c · ak )
k=m k=m
n n n
! !
Y Y Y
ak · bk = (ak · bk )
k=m k=m k=m

Let’s see a use-case :)

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Terminology
Summation Notation
Examples
Product Notation
Properties of Summation and Product
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

Let ak = k + 1 and bk = k − 1 for every integer k:

n n n n
! ! ! !
Y Y Y Y
ak · bk = (k + 1) · (k − 1)
k=m k=m k=m k=m

n
Y
= ((k + 1) · (k − 1))
k=m
n
Y
= (k 2 − 1)
k=m

You will be Problem Setted on this :)

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Summation Notation Terminology
Product Notation Examples
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

For every positive integer n, n factorial written n! is the product

of all integers from 1 to n.

n! = n · (n − 1) . . . 3 · 2 · 1.

Zero factorial:
0! = 1
A recursive definition for factorial is as follows:

1 if n = 0
n! =
n · (n − 1)! if n ≥ 1.

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Summation Notation Terminology
Product Notation Examples
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

Let n and r be integers where 0 ≤ r ≤ n. In this case we may state:

 
n
r

or ”n choose r” - which is the number of subsets of size r that

can be chosen from a set with n elements.

For all integers n and r such that 0 ≤ r ≤ n:

 
n n!
=
r r !(n − r )!

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences
 Introduction
Summation Notation Terminology
Product Notation Examples
Factorial and “n Choose r” Notation

Remember to always cancel common factors before multiplying :)

 
2 2! 2! 2 ·
1
= = = =1
2 2!(2 − 2)! 2!0! 2 · 1)(1)
( 

 
n+1 (n + 1)! (n + 1)! (n + 1) · n!
= = = =n+1
n n!((n + 1) − n)! n!1! n!

You will be Problem Setted on this too :)

Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson - CSE UNSW COMP9020 24T2 - Week 4 Lecture 1 Mathematical Sequences