Elementary symmetric sum: Difference between revisions
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== Definition == | == Definition == | ||
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== Uses == | == Uses == | ||
Symmetric sums show up in [[Vieta's | Symmetric sums show up in [[Vieta's formulas]] | ||
Revision as of 13:14, 18 June 2006
Definition
The nth symmetric sum is the sum of a group of numbers, taken n at a time. So if the numbers are a, b, c, and d, then:
1st Symmetric Sum = a+b+c+d
2nd Symmetric Sum = ab+ac+ad+bc+bd+cd
3rd Symmetric Sum = abc+abd+acd+bcd
4th Symmetric Sum = abcd
Uses
Symmetric sums show up in Vieta's formulas
