Finding power series expansion at a point that is not 0

algebra-precalculuscalculuscomplex-analysispower seriessequences-and-series

I want to find the power series expansion of $\frac{z}{(1-z)^2}$ at $z=2$. I tried to separate the $z(\frac{1}{(1-z)^2})$ and $\frac{1}{(1-z)^2}$ is just the geometric series of $\sum kz^{k-1}$ but for it to centered at $z=2$, it needs to be $\frac{z}{(1-(z-2))^2}$. How do I manipulate this to become something like that?

From the posts I saw here with (but with first power at denominator), I see them doing $\frac{1}{1-z} = \frac{1}{-1-(z-2)} = \frac{-1}{1+(z-2)}$ so it can be writtern as a geometric series, but this manipulation is without the second power? How can I proceed with the second power?

Best Answer

We obtain \begin{align*} \color{blue}{\frac{z}{(1-z)^2}}&=\frac{z}{\left(1+(z-2)\right)^2}\\ &=z\sum_{n=0}^\infty\binom{-2}{n}(z-2)^n\tag{1}\\ &=\left((z-2)+2\right)\sum_{n=0}^\infty(-1)^n(n+1)(z-2)^n\tag{2}\\ &=\sum_{n=0}^\infty(-1)^n(n+1)(z-2)^{n+1}+2\sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n(n+1)(z-2)^n\\ &=\sum_{n=1}^\infty(-1)^{n-1}n(z-2)^n+2\sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n(n+1)(z-2)^n\tag{3}\\ &\,\,\color{blue}{=\sum_{n=0}^\infty (-1)^n(n+2)(z-2)^n} \end{align*}

Comment:

  • In (1) we apply the binomial series expansion.

  • In (2) we use the binomial identity $\binom{-p}{q}=\binom{p+q-1}{q}(-1)^q$.

  • In (3) we shift the index of the left-hand series by one to start with $n=1$.

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