document.write( "Question 1104186: Find the sum of 1/2(4) +1/3(5) + 1/4(6) + ..... + 1/13(15)\r
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Algebra.Com's Answer #718957 by greenestamps(13200)\"\" \"About 
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\n" ); document.write( "Each of the fractions is of the form \"1%2F%28n%28n%2B2%29%29\".

\n" ); document.write( "Whenever you see a problem like this, where you are adding several terms of the same form, it is almost certain that you can write each term in such a way that, when all the terms are added, most of the terms cancel, leaving you with a relatively simple answer.

\n" ); document.write( "So let's find a way to \"decompose\" the general term into the sum of two terms. Since the denominator is n(n+2), we want to write the term as the sum of two fractions, one with denominator n and the other with denominator (n+2).

\n" ); document.write( "\"1%2F%28n%28n%2B2%29%29+=+A%2Fn+%2B+B%2F%28n%2B2%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"1%2Fn%28n%2B2%29+=+%28A%28n%2B2%29+%2B+B%28n%29%29%2F%28n%28n%2B2%29%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"1%2Fn%28n%2B2%29+=+%28%28A%2BB%29n+%2B+2A%29%2F%28n%28n%2B2%29%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"1+=+%28A%2BB%29n+%2B+2A\"

\n" ); document.write( "This equation must be true for all values of n; that means
\n" ); document.write( "\"A%2BB+=+0\" and \"2A+=+1\"

\n" ); document.write( "Solving that system of equations gives us
\n" ); document.write( "A = 1/2; B = -1/2

\n" ); document.write( "So the general term of the sequence can be written as
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\n" ); document.write( "Now rewrite each term as the sum of two terms, using this pattern:

\n" ); document.write( "\"1%2F2%284%29+=+%281%2F2%29%281%2F2-1%2F4%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"1%2F3%285%29+=+%281%2F2%29%281%2F3-1%2F5%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"1%2F4%286%29+=+%281%2F2%29%281%2F4-1%2F6%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"1%2F5%287%29+=+%281%2F2%29%281%2F5-1%2F7%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "...
\n" ); document.write( "\"1%2F11%2813%29+=+%281%2F2%29%281%2F11-1%2F13%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"1%2F12%2814%29+=+%281%2F2%29%281%2F12-1%2F14%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"1%2F13%2815%29+=+%281%2F2%29%281%2F13-1%2F15%29\"

\n" ); document.write( "Now looking at the terms in parentheses, you see that there is a 1/4 and a -1/4, a 1/5 and a -1/5, ..., and a 1/13 and a -1/13.

\n" ); document.write( "So all those terms cancel; all that is left is the first fractions from the original first two terms and the second fractions from the original last two terms:
\n" ); document.write( "\"%281%2F2%29%281%2F2%2B1%2F3-1%2F14-1%2F15%29\"

\n" ); document.write( "So, using a common denominator, the sum we are looking for is

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