Help with maple procedure

Mos5180d

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Mar 14, 2019
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Having trouble with a procedure simply calculating the first value of n in a sequence for when the total is greater or equal to a value of my choice.

The formula for the sequence is as follows

Sn=(n)(1-(-1)^n)/2

So...
S0=0
S1=1
S2=0
S3=3
S4=0
S5=5... and so on.

Therefore...
Tn0=0
Tn1=0
Tn2=1
Tn3=1
Tn4=4
Tn5=4
Tn6=9
Tn7=9... and so on

Which is (floor(n/2))^2

I feel like the procedure attached seems correct but will not give me the correct answer.
2019 should give the answer 90
Please help
 

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The first thing I notice is that you have an off-by-one error. This can be fixed by incrementing n at the beginning of the loop rather than the end. To see why this produces the correct answer, consider:

\(\displaystyle T(3) = \sum\limits_{n=0}^{3} = S_0 + S_1 + S_2 + S_3 = 0 + 1 + 0 + 3 = 4 = 2^2\)

\(\displaystyle T(4) = \sum\limits_{n=0}^{4} = T(3) + S_4 = T(3)\)

\(\displaystyle T(5) = \sum\limits_{n=0}^{5} = T(4) + S_5 = 0 + 1 + 0 + 3 + 5 = 9 = 3^2\)

\(\displaystyle T(6) = \sum\limits_{n=0}^{6} = T(5)+ S_6 = T(5)\)

Thus, for any given n, we have \(\displaystyle T(n) = \text{ceiling}(n/2)^2\). This means, for instance, that the smallest n for which \(\displaystyle T(n) \ge 17\) is 9, not 8 as your procedure would give (if it were working correctly that is).

Aside from this, I'm kind of stumped as to why your procedure isn't working. About the only thing I can think of is maybe Maple interprets the (n) bit as saying what precedes it is a function of n rather than being multiplied by n. Try inserting a multiplication symbol in there and see if that fixes things.
 
Hello. My version of Maple is very old (some syntax differs), but your procedure example works for me, after changing the code according to ksdhart2's suggestions. That is, I moved n:=n+1, and I inserted explicit multiplication symbols in the assignment line for s.

11398

Cheers ?
 
Hello. My version of Maple is very old (some syntax differs), but your procedure example works for me, after changing the code according to ksdhart2's suggestions. That is, I moved n:=n+1, and I inserted explicit multiplication symbols in the assignment line for s.

View attachment 11398

Cheers ?
Ahhhh. That is very annoying that I’ve spent so much time on this just for a tiny error like that haha. Thank you for taking the time to try it out :)
 
The first thing I notice is that you have an off-by-one error. This can be fixed by incrementing n at the beginning of the loop rather than the end. To see why this produces the correct answer, consider:

\(\displaystyle T(3) = \sum\limits_{n=0}^{3} = S_0 + S_1 + S_2 + S_3 = 0 + 1 + 0 + 3 = 4 = 2^2\)

\(\displaystyle T(4) = \sum\limits_{n=0}^{4} = T(3) + S_4 = T(3)\)

\(\displaystyle T(5) = \sum\limits_{n=0}^{5} = T(4) + S_5 = 0 + 1 + 0 + 3 + 5 = 9 = 3^2\)

\(\displaystyle T(6) = \sum\limits_{n=0}^{6} = T(5)+ S_6 = T(5)\)

Thus, for any given n, we have \(\displaystyle T(n) = \text{ceiling}(n/2)^2\). This means, for instance, that the smallest n for which \(\displaystyle T(n) \ge 17\) is 9, not 8 as your procedure would give (if it were working correctly that is).

Aside from this, I'm kind of stumped as to why your procedure isn't working. About the only thing I can think of is maybe Maple interprets the (n) bit as saying what precedes it is a function of n rather than being multiplied by n. Try inserting a multiplication symbol in there and see if that fixes things.
Your suggestion looked like it worked! Such a simple error thank you!
My lecturer showed us that in mathematical investigations for discrete dynamical systems that...

T0=0
T1=S0
T2=S0+S1
T3=S0+S1+S2 (T2+S2)... and so on

I should have mentioned that before, I assume it’s just different than algebra and calculus sequences?
 
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