The Root Test

Lecture Notes

So far, we have learned how to use the limit comparison test to determine whether a series
converges or diverges. The idea of the limit comparison test is that a series will converge as long
as its terms go to zero quickly enough.
Unfortunately, there are many series for which it is difficult to tell how quickly the terms go
to zero. For example, consider the series

"
_
8$
.
8œ"
#8

Since #8 ¦ 8$ , we know that the terms of this series approach zero. However, it is not clear
whether they go to zero quickly enough for the series to converge.
It turns out that this series does converge. In fact, the 8$ doesn't make much difference—this
series is only slightly larger than "Î#8 :
" 8$ " " "
a"Þ***b a"Þ**b a"Þ&b8
8
¥ 8
¥ â ¥ 8 ¥ 8 ¥ ¥ â
# #

The exponential #8 is so overwhelmingly large that 8$ in the numerator hardly makes a

difference. From the point of view of exponential functions, an 8$ isn't very different from a
constant.
In general, we say that a series converges exponentially if it lies within the exponential
portion of the hierarchy. You can determine whether a series converges exponentially by
focusing on the exponential factors, treating smaller factors as though they were constant.

EXAMPLE 1 Determine whether the series "

_
#8
'8 È 8
converges or diverges.

Though the È 8 goes to infinity, it does not grow quickly enough to make much of
8œ"
SOLUTION
a difference. Only the #8 and '8 will affect the convergence. Since the series

" "
_ _
#8 "
8
œ
8œ"
' 8œ"
$8

converges, the series "

_
#8
'8 È 8
must converge as well. è
8œ"

When you focus on the exponential terms of a series, the result is usually a geometric series.
Make sure to remember the rule for convergence of a geometric series:
CONVERGENCE TEST FOR GEOMETRIC SERIES
The geometric series

" +<8
_

8œ!

converges if k<k  ", and diverges if k<k € ".

EXAMPLE 2 Determine whether the following series converge or diverge:

" " "

_ _ _
#8 8 # &8 /8
$8 a 8 %  # b
(a) (b) (c)
8œ!
$8 8œ! 8œ"
$8 8# ln 8

SOLUTION In each case, the key is to focus on the exponential factors. Because the other
factors grow so slowly, they will not play any role in the convergence.

(a) Ignoring the 8# , this is the series " " Œ  . Since this geometric series has a
_ _ 8
#8 #
œ
8œ!
$8 8œ!
$
common ratio of < œ ", it converges.

(b) Ignoring the 8%  #, this is the series " " Œ  . Since the common ratio
_ _ 8
&8 &
œ
8œ!
$8 8œ!
$
< œ &Î$ of this geometric series is greater than ", the series diverges. (Indeed, the terms
of this series do not even approach zero.)

(c) Ignoring the 8# and the ln 8, this is the series " " Š ‹ , which has a common
_ _
/8 / 8
8
œ
8œ!
$ 8œ!
$
ratio of < œ /Î$. Since /Î$  ", this series converges. è

The Root Test

The root test is a more sophisticated way to determine whether a series converges exponentially:

THE ROOT TEST

Let !+8 be a series with positive terms, and let

< œ lim È
8
+8 .
8Ä_

(a) If <  ", then the series !+8 converges.

(b) If <  ", then the series !+8 diverges.

(c) If < œ ", then the root test is inconclusive.

The idea of taking the 8th root is that it picks out the base of an exponential. For example,

È
8
#8 œ # and Ê
8 " "
œ .
$ 8 $
For a geometric series, the value of < will be the common ratio of the series. For other series, it
represents the common ratio of the “closest” geometric series on the hierarchy.

EXAMPLE 3 Use the root test to determine whether the following geometric series converge:

" " "

_ _ _
$8 ##8 $8 %8
(a) (b) (c)
8œ!
&8 8œ!
"!8 8œ!
$8#

SOLUTION
(a) We have
È
< œ lim Ê
8
$8 $8
È&
8 $
8
œ lim œ .
8Ä_ & 8Ä_ 8 8 &

Since $Î&  ", series (a) converges;

(b) Since taking the 8th root divides any exponent by 8, the 8th root of ##8 is simply ## .
Therefore,
È ##8 È a## ba$b
< œ lim Ê
8 8
##8 $8 $8
È
"#
a"!b
8
8
œ lim œ œ .
8Ä_ & 8Ä_ 8
"! 8 "!

Since "#Î"!  ", this series diverges.

(c) The key fact here is that

lim È$8# œ $
8

8Ä_

This makes sense, since $8# is an exponential with a base of $. Algebraically, this can be
seen as follows:

lim È$8# œ lim ˆ$8# ‰ œ lim $a8#bÎ8 œ $" œ $.

8 "Î8
8Ä_ 8Ä_ 8Ä_

Therefore,
È
< œ lim Ê
8
%8 %8
È$8#
8 %
8#
œ lim œ .
8Ä_ $ 8Ä_ 8
$

Since %Î$  ", this series diverges. è

The root test can be used for many series that are not geometric. For such series, it necessary to
evaluate limits of 8th roots of more complicated expressions. The following rules are often
helpful:
RULES FOR NON-EXPONENTIALS

1. lim È
8
G œ ", for any positive constant G .
8Ä_

2. lim È
8
8 : œ ", for any positive exponent :.
8Ä_

3. lim È
8
ln 8 œ ".
8Ä_

4. lim È
8
8x œ _.
8Ä_

5. lim È
8
8 œ _.
8Ä_

EXAMPLE 4 Use the root test to determine whether the following series converge:

" " "

_ _ _
#8 8 $ &8 &8
$8 a 8 %  # b
(a) (b) (c)
8œ!
$8 8œ! 8œ"
#8 8x

SOLUTION
(a) We have
È #8 È a#ba"b
< œ lim Ê
8 8
#8 8 $ 8$
È
#
a $b
8
8
œ lim œ œ .
8Ä_ $ 8Ä_ 8
$8 $

Since #Î$  ", this series converges by the root test.

(b) We have
È a &b
< œ lim Ë
8
&8 &8
8Ä_ È $8 È 8%  #
&
$ a 8  #b a$ba"b
8
8 %
œ lim œ œ .
8Ä_ 8 8
$

Since &Î$  ", this series diverges by the root test.

(d) We have
È a &b
< œ lim Ê
8
&8 &8
8Ä_ È #8 È 8x a#ba_b
8
8
œ lim œ œ !.
8Ä_ # 8x 8 8

Since !  ", this series converges by the root test. Note that the 8x was the only factor of
this series that made any difference. Because 8x is so much larger than any exponential, it
completely overwhelms the other factors. è
At this point, you may be puzzled by some of our assertions regarding limits of 8th roots. For
example, we have stated that

lim È
8
8: œ "
8Ä_

for any positive exponent :. Why would this be the case?

The way to understand these limits is to think about the asymptotic hierarchy:
¥ È8 ¥ 8 ¥ 8# ¥ âðóóóóóóóóóóóóñóóóóóóóóóóóóò
ln 8 ¥ âðóóóóóóóóóóóóóñóóóóóóóóóóóóóò ¥ #8 ¥ $8 ¥ %8 ¥ â ¥ 8x ¥ 88
polynomials exponentials

The 8th root of an exponential is just the base of the exponential:

â ¥ a"Þ!"b8 ¥ a"Þ"b8 ¥ #8 ¥ $8 ¥ %8 ¥ â
Æ Æ Æ Æ Æ
â "Þ!" "Þ" # $ % â

Therefore, if a function is smaller than every exponential (like a power of 8), then the limit of its
8th root must be ":
â ¥ 8 ¥ 8# ¥ 8$ ¥ â ¥ a"Þ!"b8 ¥ a"Þ"b8 ¥ #8 ¥ $8 ¥ %8 ¥ â
Æ Æ Æ Æ Æ Æ Æ Æ
â " " " â "Þ!" "Þ" # $ % â

Using the same reasoning, if a function is bigger than every exponential, then the limit of its 8th
root must be infinite:
â ¥ #8 ¥ $8 ¥ %8 ¥ &8 ¥ â ¥ 8x ¥ 88
Æ Æ Æ Æ Æ Æ
â # $ % & _ _

In summary, taking the limit of the 8th root has the following effect:

ln 8 ¥ â ¥ È8 ¥ 8 ¥ 8# ¥ â ¥ #8 ¥ $8 ¥ %8 ¥ âðóóóóñóóóóò
ðóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóñóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóóò ¥ 8x ¥ 88
Æ Æ Æ Æ Æ
" # $ % â _

Knowing this information makes it very easy to apply the root test to most series. Indeed, taking
the 8th root can usually be performed in one step. For example, the series

"
_
&8 8# ln 8
8œ"
#8 $8"

converges, since
a&ba"ba"b &
a#ba$b
< œ œ  ".
'
For some series, though, the limit plays a more important role:

EXAMPLE 5 Use the root test to determine whether the following series converge:

"Œ   " ˆtan" 8‰ "

_ 8 _ _
" " 8 88
#a 8 # b
(a) (b) (c)
8œ"
& 8 8œ" 8œ!

SOLUTION
(a) We have

< œ lim ËŒ  
8
8 " " " " "
œ lim  œ .
8Ä_ & 8 8Ä_ & 8 &

Since "Î&  ", this series converges.

(b) We have

< œ lim É atan" 8b8 œ lim tan" 8 œ

8 1
.
8Ä_ 8Ä_ #
Since 1Î#  ", this series diverges.

(c) We have
È
lim Ê
88 8
88
È
8
a b
8

#a 8 b
8 # œ lim œ lim 8 œ !.
8Ä_ # 8Ä_ 8 # 8Ä_ #

Since !  ", this series converges. è

By the way, it's important to remember that the root test is inconclusive when < œ ". Indeed, all
of the following series have < œ ":

" " "" " 8$

_ _ _ _
" "
8œ"
8# 8œ"
8 8œ" 8œ"

The first series converges, while the remaining three all diverge. The only thing these series
have in common is that none of them are exponential, and are therefore not susceptible to
analysis by the root test.
EXERCISES
1–22 ç Use the root test to determine whether the given series

15. " 16. "

_ _
$ 8 8# &#8 /8
8xÈ8
converges or diverges.
8œ"
8x 8œ"

1. " 8 2. " &

_ _
8# #8

17. " 18. "

/ 8 _
88 _
/8"
aln 8b8
8œ" 8œ"
8$ / 8
a8  #b#
8œ" 8œ"

3. " 4. " #
_ _
8& # 8
atan" 8b ln 8
19. " 20. " Š ‹
8 $8 8  %8  " _ 8 _

È
8œ" 8œ" 8 8
$
8 #8  "
8È
8œ" 8œ"

5. " 6. "
_ _ 8
$ 8 / ln 8
/È8
21. " 22. "
8œ"
#8 8œ"
$ 8 8$ _ _
#8
#

8œ"
#8 8œ"
88

7. " a!Þ#b8 8$ 8. " 8# /8

_ _

8œ" 8œ" 23. For which of the following series is the root test

a8  "b $#8
inconclusive (that is, it fails to give a definite answer)?
9. " 10. " $ 8
_ _
&8Î#

(a) " (b) "

8œ"
8 &8 8œ"
8 # _
" _
8
8$ #8
a#1b8
8œ" 8œ"

11. " $8" 12. " #8&

_ _
&/8
È8
(c) " (d) "
# # _
$8" _

È8
8œ" 8œ"

8œ" 8œ"
"  8#

13. " 14. " 8 8 $

_ _
&8" $#8&
8œ" a8  "b %
# 8#
8œ"
# & 8