The sum of a geometric series can be computed quickly with the formula
n xn+1 - xm ∑ xk = --------- k=m x - 1which is valid for all natural numbers m ≤ n and all numbers x≠ 1 (or more generally, for all elements x in a ring such that x - 1 is invertible). This formula can be verified by multiplying both sides with x - 1 and simplifying.
Using the formula, we can determine the above sum: (29 - 22)/(2 - 1) = 508. The formula is also extremely useful in calculating annuities: suppose you put $2,000 in the bank every year, and the money earns interest at an annual rate of 5%. How much money do you have after 6 years?
An infinite geometric series is an infinite series whose successive terms have a common ratio. Such a series converges if and only if the absolute value of the common ratio is less than one; its value can then be computed with the formula
∞ 1 ∑ xk = ------ k=0 1 - xwhich is valid whenever |x| < 1; it is a consequence of the above formula for finite geometric series by taking the limit for n→∞.
This last formula is actually valid in every Banach algebra, as long as the norm of x is less than one, and also in the field of p-adic numbers if |x|p < 1.