Problem Set 9
MH1805 - Calculus
August 11, 2021
Answers and hints are found on the last page
1 Questions
1. Assume that a series ∞ converges and n=1 bn diverges. What
P P∞
n=1 an
can you say about the series n=1 (an + bn ) then?
P∞
2. Assume that series
P∞ n=1 an and n=1 bn diverge. What can you say
P∞ P∞
about the series n=1 (an + bn ) then?
3. Give an example of a divergent series whose partial sums form a
bounded sequence.
4. Show that if
lim an = `,
n→∞
for some ` ∈ R, then the sequence (an )∞
n=1 is bounded.
5. Suppose that limn→∞ rn = l 6= 0, and that an = rn bn , where
Pa∞n , bn ≥ 0.
Recall
P∞ that by the limit comparison cest, either the series n=1 an and
n=1 bn both converge or both diverge.
What can you say if limn→∞ rn = 0?
6. For each series below, use some appropriate test to find out whether
it converges or diverges. For convergent non positive series you should
also determine whether it converges absolutely or conditionally.
(Most of these problems are from the textbook Calculus by Spivak.)
1
(a)
∞
X sin n
.
n=1
n2
(b)
∞
X ln n
(−1)n .
n=1
n
(c)
∞
X 1
√
3
.
n=1
n2 +1
(d)
∞
X n2
.
n=1
n!
(e)
∞
X 1
.
n=2
ln n
(f)
∞
X 1
.
n=2
(ln n)p
(g)
∞
X 1
.
n=2
(ln n)n
(h)
∞
X 1
.
n=2
n ln n
(i)
∞
X 1
.
n=2
n(ln n)2
(j)
∞
X 1
.
n=2
n2 ln n
2
(k)
∞
X n!
.
n=1
nn
(l)
∞
X 2n n!
.
n=1
nn
(m)
∞
X 3n n!
.
n=1
nn
(n)
∞
X √
e− n
.
n=1
7. Give an example of a continuous function f : R → R R ∞such that the
series n=1 f (n) converges but the improper integral 1 f (x)dx does
P∞
not.
3
2 Answers and hints
1. Use limit laws.
2. Maybe there can be some cancellation when you add an to bn .
3. How about some series whose partial sums alter between two values?
4. Use the definition of limit with some ε that you choose. For example
ε = 1. This gives you a bound |`| + 1 on |an | for n bigger than some
N . The remaining 1 ≤ n ≤ N are only finitely many so a bound for
the entire sequence can be constructed as some suitable maximum.
5. Show that the condition implies that 0 ≤ an ≤ M bn for some constant
M > 0 (how about using the result from the previous exercise). Then
apply the comparison test.
6. (a) Converges absolutely. (Suggestion: Comparison test)
(b) Converges conditionally. (Suggestion: Leibniz test and compari-
son test)
(c) Diverges. (Suggestion: Limit comparison test)
(d) Converges. (Suggestion: Ratio test)
(e) Diverges. (Suggestion: Comparison test)
(f) Diverges. (Suggestion: Comparison test)
(g) Converges. (Suggestion: Root test)
(h) Diverges. (Suggestion: Integral test)
(i) Converges. (Suggestion: Integral test)
(j) Converges. (Suggestion: Comparison test)
(k) Converges. (Suggestion: Ratio test)
(l) Converges. (Suggestion: Ratio test)
(m) Diverges. (Suggestion: Ratio test)
(n) Converges. (Suggestion: Integral test)
7. Suggestion: How about some suitable function f such that f (n) = 0
for n ∈ Z?