2014/2015 MA2108 TUTORIAL 3-SOLUTIONS

1. Prove by denition that the sequence {(1)

n n
n+1
} is divergent.
Proof. Suppose the sequence is convergent. Let x be the limit of the
sequence. Then for = 1/2, there exists a natural number K such that
if n K, we have

(1)
n n
n+1
x

< 1/2.
As
n
n+1
= 1
1
n+1
, so
n
n+1
is increasing and therefore
n
n+1

1
1+1
= 1/2
for all n N.
Now choose n = 2k K, for n and n + 1, we have

(1)
2k
2k
2k + 1
x

< 1/2,

(1)
2k+1
2k + 1
2k + 2
x

< 1/2,
or

2k
2k + 1
x

< 1/2,

2k + 1
2k + 2
+ x

< 1/2.
By the Triangle Inequality, we have
1/2+1/2
2k
2k + 1
+
2k + 1
2k + 2
=

2k
2k + 1
+
2k + 1
2k + 2

2k
2k + 1
x

2k + 1
2k + 2
+ x

< 1/2+1/2,
a contradiction.
So the sequence {(1)
n n
n+1
} is divergent.

2. Find the following limits.

(1) lim
n
(

n
2
+ n n);
(2) lim
n

n
2
+1
+
1

n
2
+2
+
1

n
2
+n

;
(3) lim
n
(1 1/n)
1/n
.
Solution: (1) lim
n
(

n
2
+ nn) = lim
n
n

n
2
+n+n
= lim
n
1

1+1/n+1
=
1/2.
(2) Observe that
1

n
2
+ 1

n
2
+ 2

1

n
2
+ n
.
1
2 2014/2015 MA2108 TUTORIAL 3-SOLUTIONS
Therefore we have
n

n
2
+ 1

n
2
+ 1
+
1

n
2
+ 2
+
1

n
2
+ n

n
2
+ n
.
But we have
lim
n
n

n
2
+ 1
= lim
n
1

1 + 1/n
2
= 1,
and
lim
n
n

n
2
+ n
= lim
n
1

1 + 1/n
= 1.
So by the Squeeze theorem, lim
n

n
2
+1
+
1

n
2
+2
+
1

n
2
+n

= 1.
(3) Observe for n 2, we have

1
n

1
1
n
1,
so we have

1
n
1
n

1
1
n
1
n
1
1
n
= 1.
However, from Theorem 3.2.9, we see that lim
n
(n)
1
n
= 1, and
so lim
n

1
n
1
n
= lim
n
1
(n)
1
n
= 1. So by the Squeeze theorem,
lim
n
(1 1/n)
1/n
= 1.
3. Let 0 a
1

3, a
n+1
=
3(1+a
n
)
3+a
n
, n = 1, 2, .
(1) Prove that the sequence is increasing and bounded.
(2) Find lim
n
a
n
.
Proof and solution: (1) We rst prove by induction that 0 a
n

3, n N.
When n = 1, this is given.
Suppose 0 a
k

3, then we have
0 a
k+1
=
3(1 + a
k
)
3 + a
k
= 3
6
3 + a
k
3
6
3 +

3
=
9 + 3

3 6
3 +

3
=

3.
Therefore we see that 0 a
n

3 for all n N.
Secondly we show that the sequence is increasing. Actually we have
a
n+1
a
n
=
3(1 + a
n
)
3 + a
n
a
n
=
3 + 3a
n
3a
n
a
2
n
3 + a
n
=
3 a
2
n
3 + a
n
0,
2014/2015 MA2108 TUTORIAL 3-SOLUTIONS 3
where the last inequality holds because we have shown 0 a
n

3, n N.
(2) From (1), we see that the sequence is increasing and bounded,
therefore by the Monotone Convergence Theorem, lim
n
a
n
does ex-
ist. Let it be a. Taking limits on both sides of a
n+1
=
3(1+a
n
)
3+a
n
, we
have
lim
n
a
n+1
= lim
n
3(1 + a
n
)
3 + a
n
,
and so
a =
3(1 + a)
3 + a
, or 3a + a
2
= 3 + 3a, or a
2
= 3.
But as a
n
0, n, we have a = lim
n
a
n
0. So a =

3.