Discussion Board

What is convergent series and divergent series?

A series which have finite sum is called convergent series. Otherwise is called
divergent series.

 If the partial sums Sn of an infinite series tend to a limit S, the

series is called convergent.
Otherwise it is called divergent.
 The limiting value S is called the sum of the series

Let’s look at some examples of convergent and divergence series examples.

The sum of the series below is finite

1 – ½ + 1/3 -1/4 + 1/5 - … convergent series

However, the sum of this series is infinite

1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + …divergent series

Considering that a sequence can be established in any form, it can be difficult

to know if a series is convergent or divergent. There are some methods that
can be used to determine if the series is convergent or divergent namely;

 Preliminary test
 Comparison test
 Ratio test

Preliminary test is necessary but not sufficient condition for a series of real
positive terms ∑un to be convergent is that the term un tends to zero as un tends to
infinity ie.

If this condition does not satisfy then series must diverge. But if this condition
satisfied then series can be divergent or convergent because this is not a sufficient
condition for convergence

In comparison test we compare our series with a series whose convergence

is already known to us. Let us consider two series ∑un and ∑vn and suppose that we
know the latter to be convergent. Then, if each term un in the first series is equal to
less than the each term in second series vn for all n greater than some fixed number N
that will vary from series to series,
then the original series ∑un is also a convergent.

In other word if series ∑vn is convergent and un ≤ vn for n > N then, ∑un
converges. However, if ∑vn diverges and un ≥ vn for all n is greater than some fixed
number then ∑un diverges.

Example 6. Determine whether the following series is divergent or convergent.

Solution.

Let’s compare this series with a series of

= 1 / 0! + 1/ 1! + ½! + 1/3!+ …
= 1 + 1 + ½! + 1/3!+…
= 2 + ½! + 1/3!+…

Here the series is perfectly equals to the expression ex when x =1, therefore

e1= e = 1 + 1/1! + 1 /2! + 1/3! + …

Now we know that the series of e is convergent. Because it has a finite sum.
Since each term in the first series is less than the corresponding term in second
series. So the first series is also convergent

The ratio test determined whether a series converges by comparing the

relative magnitudes of successive terms.

If we consider a series ∑un then ratio of successive terms is,

Example 7. Determine whether following series is divergent or convergent.

 = 2 + ½! + 1/3!+…
Using ratio test, we have

Here are some steps to determine convergence of infinite series

1. Perform the divergence test.

2. Look for geometric series.
3. Look for p-series.
4. Perform the integral test.
5. Perform the alternating series test for alternating series.
6. Perform the ratio test.
7. Perform the root test.
8. Perform the limit comparison test.
9. Perform the comparison test.

How to determine if this series converges or diverges?

 Check that the nth term converges to zero.

 converges by the alternating series test.
 the alternating series is conditionally convergent.

What are the properties of a convergent series?

The following properties may not come as a surprise to students, but are useful
when determining whether more complicated series are convergent or divergent.
Proofs of the theorem below can be found in most introductory Calculus textbooks and
are relatively straightforward.
Example 8.

Solution.

We can break this problem down into parts and apply the theorem for
convergent series to combine each part together.
Step 1. Find the Sum of the First Term
Hence, the first term can be simplified to:

Step 2. Find the Sum of the Second Term

The index of summation can be shifted down to 1, requiring that we subtract

1. This process was described in the lecture on sigma notation.
 Now that our geometric series in the needed form to apply our summation
formula, we may equate our series to

and substitute our values of r and a to obtain

Step (3): Combining Results (Combining results from Steps (1) and (2) yields)

Students completing this problem may have noticed that our geometric series
formula
can only be applied when the summation starts at 1 and the exponent is . In
simplifying the second term, we needed to convert our problem into this form, which
could be solved in another way. Another way of making the conversion is as follows:

Yet even more methods of finding the sum of this series could be used. While we have
applied the formula

some calculus textbooks introduced the equivalent formula

which leads to other similar approaches to finding the sum of the infinite series.

Example 9. Find the sum of the series

Solution.
 The give series is in the form of arithmetic sequence, wherein the common
difference between term is 2. Hence, the sum of the series becomes

Thus the sum of the series

is equal to infinity, therefore the series

diverges.

Now, let us look at some very important properties of convergent series, many
of which follow directly from the standard limit laws for sequences.
The nth –Term Test for Divergence

In mathematics, the nth-term test for divergence is a simple test for the divergence
of an infinite series: If → ∞ ≠ or if the limit does not exist, then ∑ = ∞ diverges. Many
authors do not name this test or give it a shorter name.

However, the nth-term test for divergence is a very important test, as it

enables you to identify lots of series as divergent. Fortunately, it’s also very easy to
use.

To show you why this test works, the following sequence meets the necessary
condition — that is, a sequence that doesn’t approach 0:

Notice that the limit of the sequence is 1 rather than 0. So here’s the related series:

For example, the harmonic sequence

approaches 0, but the harmonic series

is divergent.

How do you use the Nth term test on the infinite series?

By the nth term test (Divergence Test), we can conclude that the posted series
diverges.

Recall: Divergence Test

How do you show that the series given below diverges?

Solution.

and