Integer series

N
N ( N + 1)
∑n = 1+2+3+···+ N =
1 2
N
N ( N + 1)(2N + 1)
∑ n2 = 1 2 + 2 2 + 3 2 + · · · + N 2 = 6
1
N
N 2 ( N + 1)2
∑ n3 = 1 3 + 2 3 + 3 3 + · · · + N 3 = [1 + 2 + 3 + · · · N ] 2 = 4
1

∞
(−1)n+1 1 1 1
∑ = 1 − + − + · · · = ln 2 [see expansion of ln (1 + x)]
1 n 2 3 4
∞
(−1)n+1 1 1 1 π
∑ = 1− + − +··· = [see expansion of tan−1 x]
1 2n − 1 3 5 7 4
∞
1 1 1 1 π2
∑ n2 =1+ + + +··· =
1 4 9 16 6
N
N ( N + 1)( N + 2)( N + 3)
∑ n(n + 1)(n + 2) = 1.2.3 + 2.3.4 + · · · + N ( N + 1)( N + 2) = 4
1

This last result is a special case of the more general formula,

N
N ( N + 1)( N + 2) . . . ( N + r)( N + r + 1)
∑ n(n + 1)(n + 2) . . . (n + r) = r+2
.
1

Plane wave expansion

∞
exp(ikz) = exp(ikr cos θ ) = ∑ (2l + 1)il jl (kr) Pl (cos θ),
l =0

where Pl (cos θ ) are Legendre polynomials (see section 11) and j l (kr) are spherical Bessel functions, defined by
!
π
jl (ρ) = J 1 (ρ), with Jl ( x) the Bessel function of order l (see section 11).
2ρ l + /2

2. Vector Algebra

2
If i, j, k are orthonormal vectors and A = A x i + A y j + A z k then | A| = A2x + A2y + A2z . [Orthonormal vectors ≡
orthogonal unit vectors.]

Scalar product

A · B = | A| | B| cos θ where θ is the angle between the vectors

 
Bx
= A x Bx + A y B y + A z Bz = [ A x A y A z ]  B y 
Bz

Scalar multiplication is commutative: A · B = B · A.

Equation of a line
A point r ≡ ( x, y, z) lies on a line passing through a point a and parallel to vector b if
r = a + λb
with λ a real number.