1 − 2 + 4 − 8 + ⋯ 1 − 2 + 4 − 8 + ⋯ In mathematics, is the infinite series whose terms are the successive powers of two with alternating signs. As a geometric series, it is characterized by its first term, 1, and its common ratio, −2. As a series of real numbers it diverges, so in the usual sense it has no sum. In a much broader sense, the series has a generalized sum of . Gottfried Leibniz considered the divergent alternating series as early as 1673. He argued that by subtracting either on the left or on the right, one could produce
1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 + ⋯ 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 + ⋯ In mathematics, the infinite series is an elementary example of a geometric series that converges absolutely. There are many different expressions that can be shown to be equivalent to the problem, such as the form: 2 + 2 + 2 + ... The sum of this series can be denoted in summation notation as: As with any infinite series, the infinite sum is defined to mean the limit of the sum of the first terms as approaches infinity. Multiplying by 2 reveals a useful relationship: Subtracting from both sides, As approaches