## Homework for Symmetries

1. (SeriesNotation1–Practice)

Write out the first four nonzero terms in the series:

1. $$\sum\limits_{n=0}^\infty {1\over n!}$$

2. $$\sum\limits_{n=1}^\infty {(-1)^n\over n!}$$

2. (SeriesNotation2–Practice)

Write the following series using sigma $\left(\sum\right)$ notation.

1. $$1 - 2\,\theta^2 + 4\,\theta^4 - 8\,\theta^6 +\,\dots$$

2. $${1\over4} - {1\over9} + {1\over16} - {1\over 25}+\,\dots$$

3. (SeriesNotation3–Practice)

If you need more practice with sigma $\left(\sum\right)$ notation, you can get really good practice by going back and forth between the two representations of the standard power series on the memorization page. Power series are used everywhere in physics and it is very important to be able to translate back and forth between the two representations.

4. (SeriesConvergence)

Recall that, if you take an infinite number of terms, the series for $\sin z$ and the function itself $f(z)=\sin z$ are equivalent representations of the same thing for all real numbers $z$, (in fact, for all complex numbers $z$). This is not always true. More commonly, a series is only a valid, equivalent representation of a function for some more restricted values of $z$. The technical name for this idea is convergence–the series only “converges” to the value of the function on some restricted domain.

Find the first six terms of the power series for the function $f(z)=\frac{1}{1+z^2}$. Then, using andy technology you want, explore the convergence of this series. Where does your series for this new function converge? Can you tell anything about the region of convergence from the graphs of the various approximations? Print out a plot and write a brief description (a sentence or two) of the region of convergence.

Note: As a matter of professional ettiquette (or in some cases, as a legal copyright requirement), if you use or modify a computer program written by someone else, you should always acknowledge that fact briefly in whatever you write up. Say something like: “This calculation was based on a (name of software package) program titled (title) originally written by (author) copyright (copyright date). In particular, if you use any Mathematica worksheet from class as a model, you must reference it in this way.

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