Practice Problems 4: Cauchy criterion, Bolzano-Weierstrass Theorem

1. Show that (xn ) satisfies the Cauchy criterion where (xn ) is defined as
1
(a) x1 = 2 and xn+1 = 2 + xn for all n ∈ N;
1
(b) x1 = 1 and xn+1 = 2+x2n
for all n ∈ N;
1 2
(c) x1 = 1 and xn+1 = 6 (xn + 8) for all n ∈ N.

2. Let (xn ) satisfy the Cauchy criterion. Show that (xn ) is bounded.

3. Let (xn ) be a sequence of positive real numbers. Prove or disprove the following statements.

(a) If xn+1 − xn → 0 then (xn ) converges.

(b) If |xn+2 − xn+1 | < |xn+1 − xn | for all n ∈ N then (xn ) converges.
(c) If (xn ) satisfies the Cauchy criterion, then there exists an α ∈ R such that 0 < α < 1
and |xn+1 − xn | ≤ α|xn − xn−1 | for all n ∈ N.

4. Let (xn ) be a sequence of integers such that xn+1 6= xn for all n ∈ N. Prove or disprove the
following statements.

(a) The sequence (xn ) does not satisfy the Cauchy criterion.
(b) The sequence (xn ) cannot have a convergent subsequence.

5. Suppose that 0 < α < 1 and that (xn ) is a sequence satisfying the condition:
|xn+1 − xn | ≤ αn , n = 1, 2, 3, . . . . Show that (xn ) satisfies the Cauchy criterion.
n+1
6. Let (xn ) be defined by x1 = 1
1! , x2 = 1
1! − 2!1 , ..., xn = 1
1! − 2!1 + ... + (−1)n! for n ∈ N. Show
that (xn ) converges.
√
7. Let 1 ≤ x1 ≤ x2 ≤ 2 and xn+2 = xn+1 xn , for n ∈ N.
xn+1 1 2
(a) Show that xn ≥ 2 , |xn+1 − xn | ≤ 3 |xn − xn−1 | for all n ∈ N and (xn ) converges.
(b) Observe that x2n+2 xn+1 = x2n+1 xn for all n ∈ N and find the limit of (xn ).
xn+1 +xn
8. Let x1 = 1, x2 = 2 and xn+2 = 2 for all n ∈ N. Using the nested interval theorem,
show that (xn ) converges .

9. (*) Show that a sequence (xn ) has no convergent subsequence if and only if |xn | → ∞.

10. (*) Show that a sequence (xn ) is bounded if and only if every subsequence of (xn ) has a
convergent subsequence.

11. (*) Let (xn ) be a sequence in R. We say that a positive integer n is a peak of (xn ) if
xn > xm whenever m > n (i.e., if xn is greater than every subsequent term of (xn )).

(a) If (xn ) has infinitely many peaks, show that it has a decreasing subsequence.
(b) If (xn ) has only finitely many peaks, show that it has an increasing subsequence.
(c) From (a) and (b) conclude that every sequence in R has a monotone subsequence.
Further, conclude that every bounded sequence in R has a convergent subsequence
(This is an alternate proof of the Bolzano-Weierstrass Theorem).

Please write to psraj@[Link] if any typos/mistakes are found in this set of practice problems/solutions/hints.
 Practice Problems 4: Hints/Solutions
−xn
1. (a) Note that |xn+1 − xn | = | x1n − xn−1
1
| = | xxn−1
n xn−1
| ≤ 14 |xn−1 − xn |. Hence (xn ) satisfies
the contractive condition and therefore it satisfies the Cauchy criterion.
|x2n −x2n−1 | |xn −xn−1 ||xn +xn−1 |
(b) Observe that |xn+1 − xn | = (2+x2n )(2+x2n−1 )
≤ 4 ≤ 24 |xn − xn−1 |.
|xn −xn−1 ||xn +xn−1 |
(c) We have |xn+1 − xn | ≤ 6 ≤ 46 |xn − xn−1 |.
2. Since (xn ) satisfies the Cauchy criterion, there exists N ∈ N such that |xn − xN | < 1 for all
n ≥ N . Hence |xn | ≤ max{|x1 |, |x2 |, · · · , |xN −1 |, 1 + |xN |} for all n ∈ N.
√ 1 √
3. (a) False. Choose xn = n and observe that xn+1 − xn = √n+1+ n
→ 0.
√ √ √ 1 √
(b) False. For xn = n, |xn+2 − xn+1 | = | n + 2 − n + 1| < √n+1+ n
= |xn+1 − xn |.
(c) False. Take xn = n1 . If for some α > 0, | n+1
1
− n1 | ≤ α| n1 − 1
n−1 | for all n ∈ N, then
n−1
n+1 ≤ α. Allow n → ∞ to get α ≥ 1.

4. (a) True. Because |xn+1 − xn | 9 0 as n → ∞.

(b) False. Consider xn = (−1)n .
5. For n > m, we have |xn − xm | ≤ |xn − xn−1 | + |xn−1 − xn−2 | + · · · + |xm+1 − xm |
αm
≤ αn−1 + αn−2 + · · · + αm = αm [1 + α + · · · + αn−1−m ]≤ 1−α → 0 as m → ∞.
Thus (xn ) satisfies the Cauchy criterion.
1
6. Observe that |xn+1 − xn | ≤ (n+1)! ≤ ( 12 )n . Apply Problem 5.

7. Since 1 ≤ xn ≤ 2, xxn+1n
≥ 12 . Observe that x2n+1 − x2n = xn xn−1 − x2n = xn (xn−1 − xn ). Thus
xn 2
|xn+1 − xn | = | xn+1 +xn ||xn−1 − xn | ≤ 3 |xn − xn−1 |.

8. Define [a1 , b1 ] = [x1 , x2 ], [a2 , b2 ] = [x3 , x2 ], [a3 , b3 ] = [x3 , x4 ], [a4 , b4 ] = [x5 , x4 ], · · · and
apply the nested interval theorem.
9. Suppose |xn | → ∞. If (xnk ) is a subsequence of (xn ), then observe that |xnk | → ∞ as
k → ∞. To prove the converse, let |xn | 9 ∞. Then there exists M > 0 such that for
every N ∈ N, we find n > N such that |xn | < M . Hence there exists n1 > 1 such that
|xn1 | < M . Similarly, there exists n2 > n1 such that |xn2 | < M . This way, we find a
bounded subsequence (xnk ) of (xn ). Hence by Bolzano-Weierstrass theorem, (xnk ) has a
convergent subsequence and therefore (xn ) has a convergent subsequence.
10. Suppose (xn ) is bounded. Then by the Bolzano-Weirestrass theorem, every subsequence of
(xn ) has a convergent subsequence. To prove the converse, suppose (xn ) is not bounded
then there exists a subsequence (xnk ) of (xn ) such that |xnk | → ∞. Observe that (xnk )
cannot have a convergent subsequence.
11. (a) Suppose (xn ) has infinitely many peaks. Let n1 be the first peak and n2 be the second
and so on. Thus all the peaks can be listed as n1 < n2 < n3 < .... Note that the subsequence
(xnk ) is decreasing.
(b) Suppose there are only finite peaks and let N be the last peak. Since n1 = N + 1 is
not a peak, there exists n2 > n1 such that xn2 ≥ xn1 . Since n2 > N , n2 is not a peak and
hence there exists n3 > n2 such that xn3 ≥ xn2 . This way, we find an increasing subsequence
(xnk ).
(c) This follows immediately from (a) and (b).