SOLUTION: find the sum of each of the following sequences up to n terms. (a) 8,88,888,... (b)0.2,0.22,0.222,...

Algebra ->  Sequences-and-series -> SOLUTION: find the sum of each of the following sequences up to n terms. (a) 8,88,888,... (b)0.2,0.22,0.222,...      Log On


   



Question 1122510: find the sum of each of the following sequences up to n terms.
(a) 8,88,888,...
(b)0.2,0.22,0.222,...

Answer by ikleyn(52788) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.
find the sum of each of the following sequences up to n terms.
(a) 8, 88, 888, . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


So, we want to find the sum


    R = 8 + 88 + 888 + . . . + 888...8,     (1)


where the last number is written using "n" digits of 8.


Consider another sum


    T = %289%2F8%29%2AR = 9 + 99 + 999 + . . . + 999...9,    (2)


where the last number is written using "n" digits of 9.


Add n to T. It is the same as to add "1" to each term of the sum (2). Therefore, 


    T + n = 10 + 100 + 1000 + . . . + 10^n.      (3)


The sum (3) is the sum of  the first  n  terms of the geometric progression with the first term 10 and the common ratio of 10.  
So, the sum (3) is equal to


    T + n = 10%2A%28%2810%5En-1%29%2F%2810-1%29%29 = %2810%2F9%29%2A%2810%5En-1%29.


Thus you have 


    T = %2810%2F9%29%2A%2810%5En-1%29+-n,   or


    %289%2F8%29%2AR = %2810%2F9%29%2A%2810%5En-1%29+-n,   which implies


    R = %2880%2F81%29%2A%2810%5En-1%29+-+%288%2F9%29%2An.


It is the final formula and the ANSWER :  R = 8 + 88 + 888 + . . . + 888...8 = %2880%2F81%29%2A%2810%5En-1%29+-+%288%2F9%29%2An.


Check.  Let us take n = 2.  Then from one side,  R = 8 + 88 = 96.

                            From the other side,  R = %2880%2F81%29%2A%28100-1%29+-+%288%2F9%29%2A2 = %2880%2F81%29%2A99+-+%288%2F9%29%2A2 = %2880%2A11%29%2F9+-+16%2F9 = %2880%2A11-16%29%2F9 = 864%2F9 = 88.   ! Correct !



        Let us take n = 3.  Then from one side,  R = 8 + 88 + 888 = 984.

                            From the other side,  R = %2880%2F81%29%2A%281000-1%29+-+%288%2F9%29%2A3 = %2880%2F81%29%2A999+-+%288%2F9%29%2A3 = %2880%2A111%29%2F9+-+24%2F9 = %2880%2A111-24%29%2F9 = 864%2F9 = 984.   ! Correct !