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Basel problem
The Basel problem asks for the exact value of the sum
Explanation
We start with the power series for the sine and divide through by x and obtain
The zeroes of this function are integer multiples of π, so the points x = n · π for n = ±1, ±2, ±3, ... . The factorisation theorem gives
what you can convert to
The multiplication of these factors show a clear pattern
We only continue with the coefficients of x2 and find
In the original series we can see that the coefficient of x2 equals there
and so holds
so that
HistoryThe first calculation of this probem from 1644 was given by Leonhard Euler in 1735. |