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September 2009
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arithmetic series

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The harmonic series is far less widely known than the arithmetic and geometric series. However, it is linked to a good deal of fascinating mathematics, some challenging Olympiad problems, several surprising applications, and even a famous unsolved problem. John Webb applies some divergent thinking, taking in the weather, traffic flow and card shuffling along the way.

Tags: logarithm : geometric series : convergence : arithmetic series : harmonic series : divergence