Paper 2, Section I, B

Methods | Part IB, 2017

Expand f(x)=xf(x)=x as a Fourier series on −π<x<π-\pi<x<\pi.

By integrating the series show that x2x^{2} on −π<x<π-\pi<x<\pi can be written as

x2=a02+∑n=1∞ancos⁡nxx^{2}=\frac{a_{0}}{2}+\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} a_{n} \cos n x

where an,n=1,2,…a_{n}, n=1,2, \ldots, should be determined and

a0=8∑n=1∞(−1)n−1n2.a_{0}=8 \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{(-1)^{n-1}}{n^{2}} .

By evaluating a0a_{0} another way show that

∑n=1∞(−1)n−1n2=π212\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{(-1)^{n-1}}{n^{2}}=\frac{\pi^{2}}{12}

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