How Do You Write the Summation of a Summation?

How Do You Write the Summation of a Summation?
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Like how should you do it and how do you manipulate it algebraically?

$$S = \{1/2, 1/3, \ldots, 1/n\}$$

$$Q = \{S(2), S(3), \ldots, S(n)\}$$

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3 Answers

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The sum in your question can be written as something like $$\sum_{i=2}^n\sum_{j=2}^i \frac{1}{j}.$$ This might not be exactly what you want, it is not clear what $S(1)$ is supposed to be in your question. As for how to manipulate multiple sums, it depends on the sum. I suggest the book “Concrete Mathematics” by Graham, Knuth and Patashnik. This specific sum can be made into a single sum by grouping the terms $\frac{1}{k}$ by themselves for each $k$.

Edit: The sum above can be written as \begin{align}&\frac{1}{2}+\\\\ &\frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{3}+\\\\ &\frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{3}+\frac{1}{4}+\\\\ &\vdots\\\\ &\frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{3}+\dots+\frac{1}{n}\end{align} Here each line is the term for a specific $i$, the $i$ is how big the denominator may be on each line. If you want to transform this to a single sum, add all the above by columns instead of rows. Then you get $$\sum_{i=2}^n (n-i+1)\frac{1}{i}.$$

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As for the question in your title, it sounds like you want

$$Q=\sum\limits_{i=2}^nS(i)\text{ and } S(n)=\sum\limits_{i=1}^{n-1}\frac1{i+1}$$

Combining the 2 gives

$$Q=\sum\limits_{i=2}^n\sum\limits_{j=1}^{i-1}\frac1{j+1}$$

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I would use a matrix-notation. I assume your original values are in a vector S, say
$ S=[a,b,c,d] $ and then I'd express the transformation to the vector Q using the triangular matrix D with

$$ D= \begin{bmatrix} 1 \\ 1 & 1 \\ 1&1&1 \\ 1&1&1&1 \end{bmatrix} $$ writing $$D \cdot S = Q $$ Then the sums of higher orders can be expressed by powers of $D$. If again we write $S(0)=S, \\ S(1)=Q=D \cdot S(0) , \\ S(2) = D^2 \cdot S(0), \\ ..., \\ S(k)=D^k \cdot S(0)$
then we can describe the entries of $D^k$ using a formula involving the matrix-exponential and matrixlogarithm $$ D^k = \exp(k \cdot \log(D))$$ The entries of $D^k$ are then $$ \begin{bmatrix} 1 & . & . & . & . \\ k & 1 & . & . & . \\ { k^2+k \over 2!}& k & 1 & . & . \\ {k^3+3 k^2+2 k \over 3!} & k^2+k & k & 1 & . \\ {k^4+6 k^3+11 k^2+6 k \over 4!} & {k^3+3 k^2+2 k \over 3!} & {k^2+k \over 2!} & k & 1 \\ \ldots \end{bmatrix} $$ where we easily recognize the set of Stirling numbers in the numerators of the left-most column. (The other columns are only down-shiftings of the first column).

Additional remark: I find it aesthetically much pleasing, that using that exp(k log()) scheme for the matrix-powers, we have automatically defined a meaningful interpolation to fractional values of the iteration - just insert fractional values for k in the symbolic description of the k'th power of D...

A table for the 0'th, 1st ,2nd and 200'th order of that sums taking your example is $$\begin{array} {r|r|r|r|r|r|r} S(0) & S(1)=Q & S(2) & S(200) \\ \hline \\ 1/2 & 1/2 & 1/2 & 1/2 \\ 1/3 & 5/6 & 4/3 & 301/3 \\ 1/4 & 13/12 & 29/12 & 121403/12 \\ 1/5 & 77/60 & 37/10 & 3417251/5 \\ 1/6 & 29/20 & 103/20 & 69597447/2 \\ 1/7 & 223/140 & 236/35 & 9970887081/7 \end{array} $$

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David Miller
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David Miller

David Miller brings 15 years of experience in global economics, personal finance strategy, and market dynamics. He specializes in turning complex economic trends into actionable insights for everyday readers.