Simplify $2^{(n-1)} + 2^{(n-2)} + .... + 2 + 1$ Simplify $2^{(n-1)} + 2^{(n-2)} + .... + 2 + 1$
I know the answer is $2^n - 1$, but how to simplify it?

Another "proof" (this was actually the way I had "proved" it myself until I saw the GP proof):
The first summand is 1 followed by a $n-1$ in base 2. The later ones are with one less zero every time. Adding them up results in a number composed of 1 followed by n-1 zeros, which is $2^n-1$ (1 followed by n zeros minus one).
