UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DEL ESTADO DE MÉXICO

Facultad de Ciencias
Departamento de Matemáticas
CALCULO DIFERENCIAL
Project I

SEQUENCES

The aim of this project is to introduce the concept of SEQUENCES and study
their principal properties.

Definition 1 A sequence is a function f : N → R.

If f : N → R is sequence, then it is more naturally denoted by {an }∞

n=1 , where
an = f (n), for every n ∈ N. For example, the sequence f : N → R defined by

f (n) = 1
n
is denoted by { n1 }∞
n=1 .

Exercise 1 Write with the other notation the following sequences:

(a) f (n) = (−1)n ,

n
(b) f (n) = n+1 ,
(c) f (n) = 2n ,
(d) {3n − 1}∞ n=1 ,
(e) {(−2)n }∞ n=1 ,
∞
(f) {n!}n=1 .

In this project, we will use the notation {an }∞

n=1 for a sequence.

Definition 2 Let {an }∞n=1 be a sequence in R and a ∈ R. We say that the limit
∞
of the sequence {an }n=1 is a, denoted by lim an = a, if and only if for every ε > 0,
n→∞
there exists an N ∈ N such that for every n ≥ N , then |an − a| < ε.

Definition 3 Let {an }∞ n=1 be a sequence in R and a ∈ R. We say that the limit
of the sequence {an }∞
n=1 is not a, denoted by lim an 6= a, if and only if there exists
n→∞
an ε > 0, such that for every N ∈ N there exists n ≥ N , such that |an − a| ≥ ε. In
this way, we say that a sequence {an }∞
n=1 in R does not converge if lim an 6= a for
n→∞
every a ∈ N.

Exercise 2 Find and prove the limit of the following sequences. If the limit does
not exists, then show it!

(a) {(−1)n }∞
n=1 ,
 n
(b) { n+1 }∞
n=1 ,
n ∞
(c) {2 }n=1 ,
(d) {(−1)n n1 }∞n=1
(e) {1}∞n=1 .

Definition 4 Let {an }∞ ∞

n=1 be a sequence in R. A sequence {bnm }m=1 is a subse-
∞
quence of {an }n=1 , if for every m ∈ N, there is k(m) ∈ N such that bnm = ak(m) and
for every m > l then k(m) > k(l).

Exercise 3 Let {an }∞

n=1 be a sequence and a ∈ R. Show that lim an = a if and
n→∞
only if lim bnm = a for every subsequence {bnm }∞ ∞
m=1 of {an }n=1 .
m→∞

Exercise 4 Let {an }∞ ∞

n=1 and {bn }n=1 be two sequences in R. Show the following:
if lim an and lim bn exists, then:
n→∞ n→∞

(a) lim (an + bn ) = lim an + lim bn .

n→∞ m→∞ n→∞
(b) lim (an bn ) = lim an lim bn .
n→∞ m→∞ n→∞

Exercise 5 Prove the following theorem.

Theorem. Let f : R → R be a function and a, l ∈ R. Then lim f (x) = l if and

x→a
only if for every sequence {an }∞
n=1 such that lim an = a, then lim f (an ) = f (a).
n→∞ n→∞