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Find the sum Sn below:
[tex] \displaystyle \large{S = n \cdot 1 + (n - 1) \cdot 3 + (n - 2) \cdot {3}^{2} + (n - 3) \cdot {3}^{3} + ... + 2 \cdot {3}^{n - 2} + 1 \cdot {3}^{n - 1} }[/tex]
Please show your work too. Thanks!​

Sagot :

We can write S as

[tex]\displaystyle S = \sum_{k=0}^{n-1} (n-k)3^k[/tex]

and expand it as

[tex]\displaystyle S = n \sum_{k=0}^{n-1} 3^k - \sum_{k=0}^{n-1} k\cdot3^k[/tex]

The first sum is geometric, nothing tricky:

[tex]\displaystyle\sum_{k=0}^{n-1} 3^k = 1 + 3 + 3^2 + \cdots + 3^{n-1} \\\\ \implies 3\sum_{k=0}^{n-1} 3^k = 3 + 3^2 + 3^3 + \cdots + 3^n \\\\ \implies -2\sum_{k=0}^{n-1} 3^k = 1 - 3^n \\\\ \implies \sum_{k=0}^{n-1} 3^k = \frac{3^n-1}2[/tex]

For the second sum, you can use the same method employed in another question of yours (24494877) to find

[tex]\displaystyle \sum_{k=0}^{n-1} k\cdot 3^k = \frac{(2n-3)3^n+3}4[/tex]

So this sum comes out to

[tex]\displaystyle S = n\cdot\frac{3^n-1}2 - \frac{(2n-3)3^n+3}4 \\\\ S = \frac{2n\cdot3^n-2n - (2n-3)3^n-3}4 \\\\ \boxed{S = \frac{3^{n+1}-2n-3}4}[/tex]