You can try the simplify_sum function. The cvs version returns will give
(%i1) load(simplify_sum)$
(%i2) simplify_sum( sum(1/n,n,1,inf) );
(%o2) inf
(%i3) simplify_sum( sum(1/(n+1),n,0,inf) );
(%o3) inf
(%i4) simplify_sum( sum(1/(n+6)-1/(n+8), n, 0, inf) );
(%o4) 13/42
Andrej
On 9/24/07, Alexey Beshenov <al at beshenov.ru> wrote:
> It seems that Maxima could not handle many simple cases of infinite sums.
> For example,
>
> sum (1/n, n, 0, inf), simpsum;
>
> evaluates to inf, but
>
> sum (1/(n+1), n, 0, inf), simpsum;
>
> not evaluates, like many other simple things like
>
> sum (1/(n+6) - 1/(n+8), n, 0, inf), simpsum;
>
> Am I right and the problem is weak support of infinite sums?
>
> Thank you.
>
> --
> Alexey Beshenov <al at beshenov.ru>
> http://beshenov.ru/