14.6.

SUGGESTED PROBLEMS

169

The famous German mathematician Bernhard Riemann (1826-1866) proved that

the terms of a conditionally convergent series can be rearranged so that the rearranged series has any prescribed sum 8, including 00 and -00. A conditionally
convergent series can also be rearranged so that the resulting series does not

have a sum.

14.6

Suggested Problems

2_l1; 7- 9;/lJo,//9b

1. Give brief clear answers to the following questions:

(a) What is an alternating series? (b) To which alternating series does the alternating series test apply? (c) Suppose the hypotheses of the alternating series test are met. What can you say about the error when the alternating sum of the first n terms of the series are used to approximate the sum of the series?
Show that each\alter~atiIl~,series .converges. Then :stimate the error

made when the )tial sum 810 is used to approximate the sum of
the series.
2. ,"00 (-1 In(n+1) L.m=1 )n+l 1
.i 3. L:=1 (-It+1 n2~1

4. L:=1 (-lr
5. ,"00 (_I)n+ln L.n= 1 2n

6. ,"00vn( n+1) (-w L.n=O

(a) Determine whether the series is absolutely convergent, conditionally convergent, or divergent.

,. ---A ,"00 (_I)n-l-l \ VI L.n=1 nvn

~. L:=1 (-It+1 5n

i L:=1 (-It+1 5~n

10L.n= 1 n~ . ,"00
11 ,"00 sin(mr/2)

. L.n=l n

12. L.n=l sin(n) ,"00 (_I)n+l nvn

13 ,"00 (_I)n+l 1 . L.n=l vn(n+l)

_ --

1
1
1
1
170 LESSON 14. ALTERNATING SERIES, ABSOLUTE CONVERGENCE

14 ,"00 (_2)n-l . L.n=l n2

where the convergence is absolute. (c) Draw a figure that ilustrates the
domain of convergence.
15. L:=l xn In2

"-" I
I

(a) Determine the values of x for which the series converges. (b) Determine

'o' I
'O" I

.," I

'" I

16. L:=l xn In

17. L:=l (sin nx) jn3

18. L:=l xn l..

..' I 'W" I

'"'' I

(a) Verify that the series converges by the alternating series test. (b) Find
the smallest N such that the error estimate 18 - 8N I -( 0.001 is guaranteed

.. I
I
---

to hold in connection with the alternating series test. (c) Calculate the
corresponding 8N correct to five decimal places. (d) Is 8N :; 8 or is

8N -( 8? Explain briefly.

19. L:=l (-It+1 In3

20. L:=l (_I)n+l Inn
21. L:=l (-It+1 (sin (1/n)) In2
Let z be a complex variable. Determine where each series is absolutely

---

I I I

convergent. Describe the domain of absolute convergence geometricaly.

22. L:=l zn In2

I ~- I -' I t-- I
~'
r-'

23. L:=l zn In
24. L:'=l zn l..

~~
"'(' i;. -_, ?~ :;~~.

25. L:'=o (-it znln..

26. Is the 75th partial sum 875 ofthe series L:=l (-It+1 I (n2 + 1) an overestimate or an underestimate for the sum 8 of the series? Explain.

l- . ,- . ,- I
l- I
l-_ I

~. .

27. Is the 56th partial sum 856 ofthe series L:=l (-It+1 I (n2 + 1) an overestimate or an underestimate for the sum 8 of the series? Explain.

,- . ,- .
,- ,.

_.. -, . _..

_.1
_. .1

_.1
,- . ,- I

.-,1

L'I

rr

-178

LESSON 15. ROOT AND RATIO TESTS

15.6

Special Limits
limits that you may find useful when you apply the ratio
,"'
'""
..,'
'",'

Here are several special

or root test to particular series. (If you did the group project on special

limits in the supplemental materials at the end of these lessons, you already have met most of the special limits and developed some numerical evidence in support of them. Now you can prove some of them!)

As n -4 00 :

., ' ~ '

1. an -4 0 provided lal -( 1.
2. a1jn -. 1

..,.J
'W/1

provided a:; O.

3. In n -4 0 for any p:; 0; in particular, In n -4 O. nP n

4. n1jn -4 1.

""i".
'WI

5. (1 + ~)n -. eX for all x.

6. -i -. 0 for all x.

W;"'

xn n.

A homework problem guides you through the verification of three of these

results.

~ ~
t-'

15.7 Suggested Problems

What can you say about the series L an in each case.
1. liID-+oo I a~~l I = 4
2. limn-+oo I a~~ 1 I = l

~.
~'

~'

_.
~',

3. limn-+oo I a~~i I = 1

~
L
~. ~

Use either the ratio or the root test to determine (absolute) convergence,
divergence, or that the test is inconclusive.
4.
5.

Ln (lr

L (In1nr

c: c:
C:'

6.
7.

L(2n~llr
L(-lt G + ~r

L
L'

eJ eJ LJ ~l ~j
'- n

.~

~
,,-J
.~..

.,J

,.,
...
,,~
".-~

15.7. SUGGESTED PROBLEMS

8. L ~~

179

9. L(-lt (;~)!

.,,-.
,-~~ -,'~

,-

,.-.

10. L (;~)!
'" nn 11. L. n!

,'~
,,-~

12. 1 + ~ + l + i + . . .

13. 1 - i2 + l2 - 4\ + . . .

...

14. 1- 2~ + 3~ - 4 +...

...
." ..

15 1.3,4 2.4.5 3,5.6 -- + _ . . . . -- _ -- + ~ _ 4,6.7

16. 1.L + 2.~.5 + 3,:,6 + 4.~.7 + . . .
Determine whether the series is absolutely convergent, conditionally convergent, or divergent.

~
"...

.. ..
... ,..

17. Ln=l n2

00 (_2)n

00 (_2)n 18. Ln=O n!

~
... ,..

19. L:=l (2~2~~) n

20. L:=l (-it (~:~~l) n

..
~ ~ ~

(a) Use the ratio test to show that the series converges. (b) Then use the error estimate in this lesson associated with the ratio test to approximate the sum to within 0.001.
';~::1. Ln=O Ijn!

/'__ 00

~
-~

22. L:=o nj2n

23. L:=o (n2 + n) j3n
24. L:=o (-it (ln r

~ ~
.~

.. ~ ~ .. ,~

~ ~ ~

(a) Use the root test to show that the series converges. (b) Then use the error estimate in this lesson associated with the root test to approximate the sum to within 0.001.
25. L;:o Ijn! Hint. \f is increasing.

26. L:=onj2n

.. d .. .~ .. .-d ~ ~

i I I i I

180
il' i

LESSON 15. ROOT AND RATIO TESTS

ii
i

27. L:=o (_i)n (ln)n

28. L:=o (n2 + n) j3n

Ii

.,

Ii '
I

29. For real x, L:=l xnjn3n is a real power series. (a) Show that it converges absolutely by the ratio test for all ixl -( 3. (b) Its Sum S (x) and partial
sums S N (x) are functions of x. Determine N so that that the partial

sum SN(X) wil approximate S (x) to within 0.001 for all x in the interval
-2:: x:: 2.
30. For real x, L~l nxn j3n is a real power series. (a) Show that it converges

absolutely by the root test for all xl -( 3. (b) Its sum S (x) and partial
sums SN (x) are functions of x. Determine N so that that the partial sum SN(X) wil approximate S (x) to within 0.001 for all x in the interval
-2:: x:: 2.
31. Use the ratio test to determine where the given power series converges

absolutely and where it diverges. What happens at the two endpoints of the interval of convergence?

(a) Lnxn (b) Ln2xn (c) Ln3xn

(d) What general result is suggested by (a), (b), and (c)? State and confirm it.
32. Use the root test to determine where the given power series converges

absolutely and where it diverges. What happens at the two endpoints of the interval of convergence?

,-_.

(a) Lxnjn (b) Lxnjn2

(c) Lxnjn3
(d) What general result is suggested by (a), (b), and (c)? State and confirm it.

-~

-~
'-'

'-'

~.

33. Fix xl -( 1 and p :; O. Use Problem 31( d) to show that nPxn -4 0 as

n -4 00.

~.

(a) Determine for which z (as usual a complex vaiable) the series Con-

verges absolutely and for which z it diverges. (b) Describe the region of
absolute convergence geometrically.

34. L(-I)nn2zn/2n

c c
L;

(
~

_. ~

lL ~I

L; j L: I L: I

'-, I

\ ,~

\-~
, ."

,~ ~ ,~ r-, ,~
.~ n""

15.7. SUGGESTED PROBLEMS

181

r,, ,,~ r..

~~
c-'

35. L (In n) zn

36. Lznjn!
37. L n!zn j3n

~ /"'
/-1

38. The terms of the series L an are defined recursively by ai = Ij2 and

0"" ,,"/ / "' =-'

r ""

an+1 = j~~~an for n ~ 1. Determine whether the series converges or

diverges.

,~
'"~

39. The terms of the series L an are defined recursively by ai = 2 and an+! = ~~~i an for n ~ 1. Determine whether the series converges or diverges. 40. (More Error Estimates) Assume there is a positive integer N such that
an ~ an+i :; 0 for all n :; N. Establish the following assertions:

\,-.
\'-0

,~
.'"
.-.
'';
,.,.~

(a) If 0, r , 1, then L:=N+1 anrn $

(b) Ifr:; 0; then

aN+irN+1

(c) Moreover, in (b) ifr , N+2, then Ln=N+l an n! ,aN+l (N + I)! N + 2 _ r'
Hint. Use a geometric series.
41. Let SN (x) be the Nth partial sum and S (x) the sum of a given power

" 00 rn rN+i N + 2

L:=N+1anl ,aN+1(N )leT. n. + 1.

rn rN+1

l-r

-,
,-

series. Do the following:

(a) For the power series L:=l 2": xn use (a) of the previous problem to

.",
..~

find a reasonable N so that SN (x) approximates S (x) to 4 decimal

places (error at most 0.00005) for al x with - 1 $ x $ 1. Hint. For
ixl $ 1,

.. .. ~
.~

In nl n (J2t(l)n 2nx $ 2n = n J2
(b) For the power series L:=l In ~~ use (b) of the previous problem to

find a reasonable N so that S N (x) approxiates S (x) to 4 decimal

places (error at most 0.00005) for all x with -2 $ x $ 2.

..
~ ..

(c) For the power series L:=l In ~~ use (c) of the previous problem to

fid a reasonable N so that SN (x) approximates S (x) to 4 decimal

places (error at most 0.00005) for all x with -2 $ x $ 2.

42. Use Stirling's formula to deduce that y' -. 00 as n -4 00.

~
-.~ --

43. (The Special Limits) Recall that eX -.0 as x -4 -00, eX -4 1 as x -4 0,

and aX = ex1na for any a? O.

limit #1. Hint. lanl = lain = enlnlal

..

(a) Verify special

~ -~ -. ~ ~ .. ~ ~