Express combinations mathematically

combinationsnotation

In simple electrical circuits, the total resistance of parallel resistors can be found by

$$\frac{1}{(1/R_1 +1/R_2 +⋯+1/R_n)}$$

Then this can be done with product-over-sum e.g. for two resistors;

$$\frac{R_1R_2}{(R_1 + R_2)}$$

and for three resistors;

$$\frac{R_1R_2R_3}{(R_1R_3 + R_2R_3 + R_1R_2)}$$

And the pattern continues with the numerator simply multiplying all the resistors $R_1R_2R_3…R_n$ and the denominator sum of unique $n-1$ pairs of $R_1R_2R_3…R_n$

The pattern is because:

Since

$$\frac{1}{\frac{1}{R_1}+\frac{1}{R_2}} = \frac{1}{\frac{R_1+R_2}{R_1R_2}}$$

Then adding another;

$$\frac{1}{\frac{R_1+R_2}{R_1R_2}+\frac{1}{R_3}} = \frac{1}{\frac{R_1R_2+R_1R_3+R_2R_3}{R_1R_2R_3}}$$

There's really nothing special, just that having LCD, reciprocating, thats why every adding of a resistor will have that pattern

So, how do I express this mathematically? I do not know if this is found in other circuit textbooks I just observed the pattern myself and if there is I still want to know how to express things mathematically, I do know simple summation like $\sum_{i=0}^n i^2$, but I'm quite confused with summation of combinations

Thank you for your help

Best Answer

The denominator could be written as $\sum_i\prod_{j\ne i}R_j$, viz.$$\frac{1}{\sum_i1/R_i}=\frac{\prod_jR_j}{\sum_i\prod_{j\ne i}R_j}.$$As @JMoravitz notes, one can also write the result as the $k=1$ special case of$$\frac{1}{e_k(1/R_i)}=\frac{e_n(R_i)}{e_{n-k}(R_i)}.$$

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