Question #7a6ca

2 Answers
Jan 13, 2017

x^2ln (1+x^3) = sum_(n=1)^oo (-1)^(n-1) (x^(3n+2))/n

Explanation:

Take the MacLaurin series for ln(1+t), which is well known:

ln (1+t) = sum_(n=1)^oo (-1)^(n-1) t^n/n

Substitute: t=x^3

ln (1+x^3) = sum_(n=1)^oo (-1)^(n-1) (x^3)^n/n = sum_(n=1)^oo (-1)^(n-1) (x^(3n))/n

Now multiply by x^2 term by term:

x^2ln (1+x^3) = sum_(n=1)^oo (-1)^(n-1) (x^2 x^(3n))/n = sum_(n=1)^oo (-1)^(n-1) (x^(3n+2))/n

Jan 13, 2017

x^2ln(1+x^3) = -sum_(n=1)^(oo) (-1)^(n)x^(3n + 2)/(n)

= x^5 - x^8/2 + x^11/3 - x^14/4 + . . .


Recall that

sum_(n=0)^(oo) t^n = 1/(1-t),

which is the derivative of -ln(1-t). So, substitute t = -x^3 to get

sum_(n=0)^(oo) (-x^3)^n = 1/(1 + x^3),

(whose derivative has no sign change), so that

intsum_(n=0)^(oo) (-1)^(n)(x^3)^(n)dx = sum_(n=0)^(oo) int(-1)^(n)(x^3)^ndx

= sum_(n=0)^(oo) [(-1)^(n)1/(n+1)(x^3)^(n+1)] + C

= sum_(n=1)^(oo) [(-1)^(n-1)1/(n)x^(3n)] + C

= -sum_(n=1)^(oo) [(-1)^(n)1/(n)x^(3n)] + C

= ln(1 + x^3), x >= 0,

where C = ln(1 + 0^3) = 0.

Since the sum depends only on n, we can multiply through by x^2 to get the result:

color(blue)(x^2ln(1+x^3) = -sum_(n=1)^(oo) (-1)^(n)x^(3n + 2)/(n))

= color(blue)(x^5 - x^8/2 + x^11/3 - x^14/4 + . . . )

whereas that for ln(1+x^3), if you wish to compare, was:

ln(1+x^3) = x^3 - x^6/2 + x^9/3 - x^12/4 + . . .

which indeed was just multiplied by x^2 to get to x^2ln(1+x^3).