<s>[INST] Writing 1/3 as a sum of other numbers Is it possible to write $0.3333(3)=\frac{1}{3}$ as sum of $\frac{1}{4} + \cdots + \cdots\frac{1}{512} + \cdots$ so that denominator is a power of $2$ and always different?
As far as I can prove, it should be an infinite series, but I can be wrong.
In case if it can't be written using pluses only, minuses are allowed as well.
For example, $\frac{1}{2}$ is $\frac{1}{4}+\frac{1}{8}+\frac{1}{16}+\cdots$
So, what about $\frac{1}{3}$?
 [/INST] Archimedes showed that if you have a finite sum in which each term is $1/4$ of the previous term, except that the last term is $1/3$ of the previous term, then the sum does not depend on the number of terms, but is just $4/3$ of the first term.  In modern terminology:
$$
1+\frac 1 4 + \frac{1}{16} + \cdots + \frac{1}{4^n} + \frac{1}{4^n}\cdot\frac 1 3\  =\  \frac 4 3.
$$
He deduced from that that the infinite sum
$$
1 + \frac 1 4 + \frac{1}{16} + \cdots = \frac 4 3.
$$
(If the first term is $1/4$ then $4/3$ of that is of course $1/3$.)
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