Journal of Integer Sequences, Vol. 29 (2026), Article 26.2.1

An Alternating Sum of the Floor Function of Square Roots


Marc Chamberland
Department of Mathematics
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA 50112
USA

Karl Dilcher
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2
Canada

Abstract:

We show that the alternating sum of the floor function of $\sqrt{jn}$, with $j$ ranging from 1 to $n$, has an easy evaluation for all odd integers $n\geq 1$. This is in contrast to known non-alternating sums of the same type that hold only for a class of primes. The proof is elementary and was suggested by an AI model. To put this result in perspective, we also prove an asymptotic expression for the analogous sum without the floor function.


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(Concerned with sequences A000196 A008836.)


Received October 30 2025; revised versions received October 31 2025; March 20 2026. Published in Journal of Integer Sequences, March 21 2026.


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