PC1 (2025/2026)
Analysis I
Problem Set 4
1 Using the definition of the limit, show that:
n2 + 1 2n
1 2n − 3 2 1
lim = 0, lim = , lim sin = 0, lim = +∞, lim = 0.
n→∞ 2n − 1 n→∞ 3n + 1 3 n→∞ n n→∞ n − 10 n→+∞ n!
n n ln n √
lim = 0, lim = 0 (a > 1), lim nan = 0 (|a| < 1), lim = 0, lim n
n = 1.
n→+∞ 2n n→+∞ an n→+∞ n→+∞ n n→+∞
2 Let (an )n be a sequence of positive
√ √ to ℓ. Show that ℓ ≥ 0,
real numbers that converges
√
and that the sequence an n converges and lim an = ℓ.
n→+∞
3 Determine the limit of each sequence, whenever it exists in the large sense, given by
its general term un in the following examples:
p √3 n nπ
(1) un = n(n + a) − n, (2) un = n + 1 − n3 , (3) un = sin ,
2 2
sin n + cos2 n 1 + a + a2 + · · · + an
(4) un = , (5) un = (|a| < 1, |b| < 1),
n 1 + b + b2 + · · · + bn
√ n n
n sin(n!) an − b n X 1 X 1
(6) un = 2
, (7) un = n n
, (8) un = , (9) u n = √ ,
n +1 a +b k=1
k(k + 1) k=1
n 2−k
1 3 5 2n − 1 n! √n
(10) un = + 2 + 3 + · · · + , (11) un = n , (12) un = 12 + 22 + · · · + n2 ,
2 2 2 2n r n
Pn Pn
k=0 (2k + 1) 1 n (2n)! 2k(2k − 1)
(13) un = Pn , (14) un = α (α > 1), (15) un = k=1 3 ,
k=1 k n n! n
2n+1
√ √3
√ √
5
√ 2n+1
√ X 1
(16) un = ( 2 − 2)( 2 − 2) · · · ( 2 − 2), (17) un = √ ,
2
n +k
k=1
n 2 n n2
X 1 X 1 X n
(18) un = √ , (19) un = , (20) un = .
k=1
n2 + k k=0
(n + k)2 k=1
n2 +k
4 Let (an )n be a sequence of positive real numbers such that lim (an+1 /an ) = ℓ.
n→+∞
(a) Show that if ℓ < 1, then (an )n converges, and lim an = 0.
n→+∞
(b) What can be said when ℓ > 1?
(c) When ℓ = 1, show by terms of examples, that we cannot conclude anything.
√
5 Let (an )n be a sequence of positive real numbers such that lim n an = ℓ.
n→+∞
(a) Show that if ℓ < 1, then (an )n converges, and lim an = 0.
n→+∞
(b) What can be said when ℓ > 1?
(c) When ℓ = 1, show by terms of examples, that we cannot conclude anything.
6 Let (un )n∈N be a sequence of positive numbers.
(a) Show that if
un+1
−→ ℓ, as n → +∞
un
then
√
n
un −→ ℓ, as n → +∞.
(b) Show that the converse of (a) is false.
(c) Determine the following limits as n → +∞:
r
n 1pn 1pn 1 n (3n)!
√ , n(n + 1) · · · (n + n), 1 · 3 · 5 · · · (2n − 1), .
n
n! n n n2 n!
7 A sequence (xn )n∈N is convergent if and only if the subsequences (x2n )n∈N and (x2n+1 )n∈N
are both convergent and satisfy
lim x2n = lim x2n+1 .
n→∞ n→∞
8 Let 0 < a1 < b1 and define
p an + b n
an+1 = an b n , bn+1 = , ∀n ∈ N.
2
(a) Show that the sequences (an )n∈N and (bn )n∈N each converge.
(b) Show that they have the same limit.
9 Let (xn )n be a real sequence such that lim xn = ℓ ∈
/ Z. Determine lim ⌊xn ⌋.
n→+∞ n→+∞
— What can be said in the case ℓ ∈ Z ?
10 Let (an )n∈N be a sequence defined by
√ √
a1 = 1, a2 = 2, an+1 = an + an−1 , for all n ≥ 2.
(a) Prove that the sequence (an )n∈N is bounded and increasing.
(b) Deduce that (an ) is convergent and determine its limit.
11 Let a > 1, and let (un )n∈N be a real sequence defined by
un + a
u1 > 0, un+1 = , ∀n ∈ N.
un + 1
(a) Show that un > 0 for every n ∈ N.
√
(b) What happens when u1 = a?
√
(c) Assume that u1 ̸= a, and define the sequence (xn )n∈N by
√
un − a
xn = √ , ∀n ∈ N.
un + a
(i) Determine an explicit expression for the n-th term xn .
xn+1
Hint. Start by computing .
xn
(ii) Deduce that the sequence (un )n∈N is convergent and determine its limit.
2
(d) Study the sequence (un )n∈N in the case 0 < a < 1, using a method different from
that employed in the case a > 1. In particular, consider the iteration
un+1 = f (un ), ∀n ∈ N,
where the function f :]0, +∞[→]0, +∞[ is defined by
x+a
f (x) = .
x+1
12 Let a > 0, and let (un )n∈N be a real sequence defined by
1 a
u1 > 0, un+1 = un + , ∀n ∈ N.
2 un
Proceed as in Problem 11 to study this sequence.
13 Let (an )n∈N and (bn )n∈N be two sequences defined as follows:
n
X 1 1
an = and bn = an + , ∀n ∈ N.
k=0
k! n × n!
(a) Show that (an )n∈N and (bn )n∈N are “adjacent” sequences. Denote their limit by e.
(b) Show, for every n ∈ N, that
an+1 − an ≤ e − an ≤ bn − an ,
bn − bn+1 ≤ bn − e ≤ bn − an+3 .
(c) Deduce that
lim (n + 3)! × (bn − e) = 1 and lim (n + 1)! × (e − an ) = 1.
n→∞ n→∞
(d) Deduce that e ∈
/ Q.
(e) (Supplementary) Show that the sequence with n-th term
n
1
1+
n
converges to the number e.
14 We say that a sequence (un )n∈N is contractive if there exists a constant C, 0 < C < 1,
such that
|un+2 − un+1 | ≤ C|un+1 − un |, ∀n ∈ N.
— Show that every contractive sequence is a Cauchy sequence.
15 Show that the following sequences are Cauchy sequences:
(a)
cos a cos(2a) cos(na)
un = s
+ s
+ ··· + , where s ≥ 2 and a ∈ R.
1 2 ns
(b)
cos(1!) cos(2!) cos(n!)
un = + + ··· + .
1·2 2·3 n(n + 1)
3
(c)
un = a0 + a1 q + · · · + an q n , where |ak | < M and |q| < 1.
16 Let (un )n∈N be a real sequence such that the sequence (xn )n∈N , defined by
n
X
xn = |uk+1 − uk | , ∀n ∈ N,
k=1
is bounded.
— Show that both sequences (un )n∈N and (xn )n∈N are convergent.
17 Let (xn )n≥1 and (yn )n≥1 be real sequences, and let c ∈ R. Assume that all limits below
are taken in the extended real line R = R ∪ {±∞} (Exclude the indeterminate cases).
(a) (i) Show that if c > 0, then
lim sup(cxn ) = c lim sup xn , lim inf (cxn ) = c lim inf xn .
n→∞ n→∞ n→∞ n→∞
(ii) Show that if c < 0, then
lim sup(cxn ) = c lim inf xn , lim inf (cxn ) = c lim sup xn .
n→∞ n→∞ n→∞ n→∞
(b) Show that
lim sup(xn + yn ) ≤ lim sup xn + lim sup yn ,
n→∞ n→∞ n→∞
lim inf (xn + yn ) ≥ lim inf xn + lim inf yn .
n→∞ n→∞ n→∞
(c) Give examples of sequences (xn ) and (yn ) for which the inequalities in (b) are
strict.
(d) Show that if lim xn exists, then the inequalities in (b) become equalities.
n→+∞
18 Show that, if (an )n∈N is a sequence such that for any sequence (bn )n∈N ,
lim sup (an + bn ) = lim sup an + lim sup bn ,
n→∞ n→∞ n→∞
then (an )n∈N is convergent.
19 Let (an )n∈N be a sequence of positive real numbers, such that
n
X
lim ak = +∞.
n→+∞
k=1
Show, for any real sequence (xn )n∈N , that
xn x1 + x2 + · · · + xn x1 + x2 + · · · + xn xn
lim inf ≤ lim inf ≤ lim sup ≤ lim sup .
n→∞ an n→∞ a1 + a2 + · · · + an n→∞ a1 + a2 + · · · + an n→∞ an
20 Show that for every positive sequence (an )n∈N ,
a1 + a2 + · · · + an + an+1
lim sup ≥ 4.
n→∞ an