前 n 个正整数的任意次方和

本文灵感来源于大一时的新生研讨课——仰教授的《信息与数学浅谈》

One way

道生一

令 $j=n-i$，则
$$\begin{array}{rl}\sum _{i=1}^{n}i=\sum _{j=1}^n(n+1-j)& =\sum _{j=1}^n(n+1)-\sum _{j=1}^{n}j=n(n+1)-\sum _{i=1}^{n}i\\ 2\sum _{i=1}^{n}i& =n(n+1)\\ \sum _{i=1}^{n}i& =\frac{n(n+1)}{2}\end{array}$$这种做法想必大家都已经在高中学过了，下面来看另一种巧妙的做法
$$\begin{array}{rl}(n+1{)}^2-n^2& =2n+1\\ n^2-(n-1{)}^2& =2(n-1)+1\\ ⋮& =⋮\\ 3^2-2^2& =2\ast 2+1\\ 2^2-1^2& =2\ast 1+1\end{array}$$共 $n$ 个等式，两边分别求和，
$$\begin{array}{rl}(n+1{)}^2-1& =2\sum _{i=1}^{n}i+n\\ n^2+2n& =2\sum _{i=1}^{n}i+n\\ \sum _{i=1}^{n}i& =\frac{n^2+n}{2}\end{array}$$

一生二

下面利用相同的方法，求自然数的平方和
$$\begin{array}{rl}(n+1{)}^3-n^3& =3n^2+3n+1\\ n^3-(n-1{)}^3& =3(n-1{)}^2+3(n-1)+1\\ ⋮& =⋮\\ 3^3-2^3& =3\ast 2^2+3\ast 2+1\\ 2^3-1^3& =3\ast 1^2+3\ast 1+1\end{array}$$两边求和
$$\begin{array}{rl}(n+1{)}^3-1& =3\sum _{i=1}^n{i}^2+3\sum _{i=1}^{n}i+n\\ n^3+3n^2+3n& =3\sum _{i=1}^n{i}^2+3\frac{n^2+n}{2}+n\\ \sum _{i=1}^n{i}^2& =\frac{2n^3+3n^2+n}{6}=\frac{n(n+1)(2n+1)}{6}\end{array}$$这种巧妙的的解法是法国数学家帕斯卡 $\text{(Pascal)}$ 想出来的.

二生三

立方和呢，我们也来做一下，
$$\begin{array}{rl}(n+1{)}^4-n^4& =4n^3+6n^2+4n+1\\ n^4-(n-1{)}^4& =4(n-1{)}^3+6(n-1{)}^2+4(n-1)+1\\ ⋮& =⋮\\ 3^4-2^4& =4\ast 2^3+6\ast 2^2+4\ast 2+1\\ 2^4-1^4& =4\ast 1^3+6\ast 1^2+4\ast 1+1\end{array}$$其中 $(n+1{)}^4$ 利用牛顿二项式展开，即
$$(a+b{)}^n=\sum _{p=0}^n{C}_n^p{a}^p{b}^{n-p}$$两边相加，
$$\begin{array}{rl}(n+1{)}^4-1& =4\sum _{i=1}^n{i}^3+6\sum _{i=1}^n{i}^2+4\sum _{i=1}^{n}i+n\\ n^4+4n^3+6n^2+4n& =4\sum _{i=1}^n{i}^3+6\frac{2n^3+3n^2+n}{6}+4\frac{n^2+n}{2}+n\\ \sum _{i=1}^n{i}^3& =\frac{n^4+2n^3+n^2}{4}=\frac{n^2(n+1{)}^2}{4}\end{array}$$这里有个好玩儿的结论
$$\sum _{i=1}^n{i}^3=\frac{n^2(n+1{)}^2}{4}=(\frac{n(n+1)}{2}{)}^2=(\sum _{i=1}^{n}i{)}^2$$

Another way

  首先介绍一个公式——分部求和公式
$$\sum _{k=1}^n{a}_k{b}_k=a_n\sum _{k=1}^n{b}_k-\sum _{j=1}^{n-1}((a_{j+1}-a_j)\sum _{k=1}^j{b}_k)$$(emm，没听过. 嘶… 不过感觉跟分部积分差不多，对比下)
$$\int udv=uv-\int vdu$$   积分和求和，本质上是一样的.
  将 $\sum$ 看作 $\int$，$a_k$ 看作 $u$，$b_k$ 看作 $dv$，则 $du=a_{j+1}-a_j,v=\sum _{j=1}^k{b}_j$，两式等价.

  跟本文讨论的问题结合起来，将公式改造一下：

  取 $a_k=k$，则
$$\begin{array}{rl}\sum _{k=1}^n{a}_k{b}_k& =a_n\sum _{k=1}^n{b}_k-\sum _{j=1}^{n-1}((a_{j+1}-a_j)\sum _{k=1}^j{b}_k)\\ & =n\sum _{k=1}^n{b}_k-\sum _{j=1}^{n-1}\sum _{k=1}^j{b}_k\\ & =n\sum _{k=1}^n{b}_k-(\sum _{j=1}^n\sum _{k=1}^j{b}_k-\sum _{k=1}^n{b}_k)\\ & =(n+1)\sum _{k=1}^n{b}_k-\sum _{j=1}^n\sum _{k=1}^j{b}_k\end{array}$$所以$$\sum _{k=1}^{n}k{b}_k=(n+1)\sum _{k=1}^n{b}_k-\sum _{j=1}^n\sum _{k=1}^j{b}_k$$

道生一

套用此式，令 $b_k=1$，则
$$\begin{array}{rl}\sum _{k=1}^{n}k\cdot 1& =(n+1)\sum _{k=1}^n{b}_k-\sum _{j=1}^n\sum _{k=1}^j{b}_k\\ & =(n+1)n-\sum _{j=1}^{n}j\\ 2\left(\sum _{k=1}^{n}k\right)& =n(n+1)\\ \sum _{k=1}^{n}k& =\frac{n(n+1)}{2}=\frac{n^2+n}{2}\end{array}$$

一生二

令 $b_k=k$，则
$$\begin{array}{rl}\sum _{k=1}^{n}k\cdot k& =(n+1)\sum _{k=1}^n{b}_k-\sum _{j=1}^n\sum _{k=1}^j{b}_k\\ & =(n+1)\sum _{k=1}^{n}k-\sum _{j=1}^n\frac{j(j+1)}{2}\\ & =(n+1)\sum _{k=1}^{n}k-\frac{1}{2}\sum _{k=1}^{n}k-\frac{1}{2}\sum _{k=1}^n{k}^2\\ \frac{3}{2}\sum _{k=1}^n{k}^2& =(n+\frac{1}{2})\sum _{k=1}^{n}k\\ & =(n+\frac{1}{2})\frac{n(n+1)}{2}\\ & =\frac{n(n+1)(2n+1)}{4}\\ \sum _{k=1}^n{k}^2& =\frac{n(n+1)(2n+1)}{6}=\frac{2n^3+3n^2+n}{6}\end{array}$$

二生三

令 $b_k=k^2$，则
$$\begin{array}{rl}\sum _{k=1}^{n}k\cdot k^2& =(n+1)\sum _{k=1}^n{b}_k-\sum _{j=1}^n\sum _{k=1}^j{b}_k\\ & =(n+1)\sum _{k=1}^n{k}^2-\sum _{j=1}^n\frac{2j^3+3j^2+j}{6}\\ & =(n+1)\sum _{k=1}^n{k}^2-\frac{1}{3}\sum _{k=1}^n{k}^3-\frac{1}{2}\sum _{k=1}^n{k}^2-\frac{1}{6}\sum _{k=1}^{n}k\\ \frac{4}{3}\sum _{k=1}^n{k}^3& =(n+\frac{1}{2})\sum _{k=1}^n{k}^2-\frac{1}{6}\sum _{k=1}^{n}k\\ & =(n+\frac{1}{2})\frac{n(n+1)(2n+1)}{6}-\frac{1}{6}\frac{n(n+1)}{2}\\ & =\frac{n^2(n+1{)}^2}{3}\\ \sum _{k=1}^n{k}^3& =\frac{n^2(n+1{)}^2}{4}\end{array}$$

三生万物

  上面介绍的两种方法都可以推广到 $p$ 次方求和，有以下结论：
$$1^p+2^p+3^p+\cdots +n^p=\sum _{i=1}^n{i}^p=\sum _{k=1}^p\left(\sum _{j=0}^{k-1}(-1{)}^j{C}_k^j(k-j{)}^{p+1}\right)C_{n+1}^{k+1}$$其中 $p$ 为任意正整数，可通过数学归纳法证明.