Complex Series Sum
Let $ z $ be a complex number such that $ z^{23} = 1 $ and $ z \neq 1 $. Find
\[\sum_{n = 0}^{22} \frac{1}{1 + z^n + z^{2n}}.\]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- +
- 4
- 5
- 6
- -
- 7
- 8
- 9
- $\frac{a}{b}$
- .
- 0
- =
- %
- $a^n$
- $a^{\circ}$
- $a_n$
- $\sqrt{}$
- $\sqrt[n]{}$
- $\pi$
- $\ln{}$
- $\log$
- $\theta$
- $\sin{}$
- $\cos{}$
- $\tan{}$
- $($
- $)$
- $[$
- $]$
- $\cap$
- $\cup$
- $,$
- $\infty$
Solution
For $ n \neq 0, $ we can write
\[1 + z^n + z^{2n} = \frac{z^{3n} - 1}{z^n - 1},\]so
\[\frac{1}{1 + z^n + z^{2n}} = \frac{z^n - 1}{z^{3n} - 1}.\]Since $ z^{23} = 1, $ $ z^{23n} = 1, $ so $ z^n = z^{24n} $. Hence,
\[\frac{z^n - 1}{z^{3n} - 1} = \frac{z^{24n} - 1}{z^{3n} - 1} = 1 + z^{3n} + z^{6n} + \dots + z^{21n}.\]Then
\[\sum_{n = 0}^{22} \frac{1}{1 + z^n + z^{2n}} = \frac{1}{3} + \sum_{n = 1}^{22} \frac{1}{1 + z^n + z^{2n}},\]and
\begin{align*}
\sum_{n = 1}^{22} \frac{1}{1 + z^n + z^{2n}} &= \sum_{n = 1}^{22} (1 + z^{3n} + z^{6n} + \dots + z^{21n}) \\
&= \sum_{n = 1}^{22} \sum_{m = 0}^7 z^{3mn} \\
&= \sum_{m = 0}^7 \sum_{n = 1}^{22} z^{3mn} \\
&= 22 + \sum_{m = 1}^7 \sum_{n = 1}^{22} z^{3mn} \\
&= 22 + \sum_{m = 1}^7 (z^{3m} + z^{6m} + z^{9m} + \dots + z^{66m}) \\
&= 22 + \sum_{m = 1}^7 z^{3m} (1 + z^{3m} + z^{6m} + \dots + z^{63m}) \\
&= 22 + \sum_{m = 1}^7 z^{3m} \cdot \frac{1 - z^{66m}}{1 - z^{3m}} \\
&= 22 + \sum_{m = 1}^7 \frac{z^{3m} - z^{69m}}{1 - z^{3m}} \\
&= 22 + \sum_{m = 1}^7 \frac{z^{3m} - 1}{1 - z^{3m}} \\
&= 22 + \sum_{m = 1}^7 (-1) \\
&= 22 - 7 = 15.\end{align*}Hence,
\[\sum_{n = 0}^{22} \frac{1}{1 + z^n + z^{2n}} = \frac{1}{3} + 15 = \boxed{\frac{46}{3}}.\]