Tutorial 2.

Numerical sequences and limits

1. Let us consider the sets
a) 𝐴 = {sin 𝑝 : 𝑝 ∈ 𝑍};
𝑝
b) 𝐵 = {𝑞 : 𝑝, 𝑞 ∈ 𝑁} ;
(−1)𝑛
c) 𝐶 = { 𝑛 : 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁}.
Check whether each set is bounded.

Remind. The set 𝑿 ⊂ 𝑹 is bounded below (above) if

⋁ ⋀𝑥 ≥ 𝑚 (⋁ ⋀ 𝑥 ≤ 𝑀).
𝑚∈𝑹 𝑥∈𝑿 𝑀∈𝑹 𝑥∈𝑿

Number m (M) is called a lower (upper) bound of the set X.

The set 𝑿 ⊂ 𝑹 is bounded if and only if it is bounded above and below.

Solution.
a) Elements of set A satisfy the condition: −1 ≤ sin 𝑝 ≤ 1. So we can choose 𝑚 = −1, 𝑀 =
1 and then
⋁ ⋀ 𝑚 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 𝑀.
𝑚,𝑀∈𝑹 𝑥∈𝑿
Therefore, the set A is bounded.
𝑝
b) The set B is bounded below because 𝑞 > 0 for any 𝑝, 𝑞 ∈ 𝑁. However, this set is not bounded
𝑝
above because for any 𝑀 > 0 we can find such 𝑝, 𝑞 ∈ 𝑁 that 𝑞 > 𝑀, for example 𝑝 = 𝑀 + 1,
𝑞 = 1.
(−1)𝑛 1
c) The set C is bounded because −1 ≤ ≤ 2 for any 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁.
𝑛

2. Let us consider the sets

a) 𝐴 = (0, 1],
b) 𝐴 = [0, 1),
c) 𝐴 = (−∞, 2).
Find min 𝐴, max 𝐴, inf 𝐴, sup 𝐴.

Remind. Number b is the greatest element of the set 𝑿 ⊂ 𝑹, and is denoted by 𝑏 = max 𝑋, if and
only if
𝑏∈𝑿 oraz ⋀ 𝑥 ≤ 𝑏.
𝑥∈𝑿
Number a is the smallest element of the set 𝑿 ⊂ 𝑹, and is denoted by 𝑎 = min 𝑋, if and only if
𝑎∈𝑿 oraz ⋀ 𝑥 ≥ 𝑎.
𝑥∈𝑿

Let the set 𝑿 ⊂ 𝑹 is bounded below. Number a is the greatest lower bound of set X, or infi-
mum, (we write 𝑎 = inf 𝑋), if and only if

⋀𝑥 ≥ 𝑎 and ⋀ ⋁ 𝑥0 < 𝑎 + 𝜀 .
𝑥∈𝑿 𝜀>0 𝑥0 ∈𝑿

1
Let the set 𝑿 ⊂ 𝑹 is bounded above. Number b is the least upper bound of the set X (we write
𝑏 = sup 𝑋), if and only if

⋀𝑥 ≤ 𝑏 oraz ⋀ ⋁ 𝑥0 > 𝑏 − 𝜀 .
𝑥∈𝑿 𝜀>0 𝑥0 ∈𝑿
Solution.
a) If 𝐴 = (0, 1] then max 𝐴 = 1 while its minimum element does not exist. Indeed, for any 𝜀 >
0 there exists such 𝑥 ∈ 𝑨 that 0 < 𝑥 < 𝜀. Due to this 𝑎 = 0 is the greatest lower bound of
set X or inf 𝐴 = 0. Similarly, sup 𝐴 = 1.
b) If 𝐴 = [0, 1) then min 𝐴 = 0, inf 𝐴 = 0, sup 𝐴 = 1, and max 𝐴 does not exist.
c) If 𝐴 = (−∞, 2) then min 𝐴 and max 𝐴 do not exist, inf 𝐴 does not exit while sup 𝐴 = 2.

3. Let us consider numerical sequences

𝑛
a) 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑛+1 , 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁;
b) 𝑏𝑛 = 𝑛2 − 𝑛, 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁;
100𝑛
c) 𝑐𝑛 = , 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁;
𝑛!
1
d) 𝑑𝑛 = 𝑛 , 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁;
(−1)𝑛
e) 𝑓𝑛 = 𝑛 , 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁.
Is this sequence increasing or decreasing? Why?

Solution.
a) Let us compute
𝑛+1 𝑛 (𝑛 + 1)(𝑛 + 1) − 𝑛(𝑛 + 2)
𝑎𝑛+1 − 𝑎𝑛 = − = =
𝑛+1+1 𝑛+1 (𝑛 + 2)(𝑛 + 1)
𝑛2 + 2𝑛 + 1 − 𝑛2 − 2𝑛 1
= = > 0,
(𝑛 + 2)(𝑛 + 1) (𝑛 + 2)(𝑛 + 1)
Then
𝑎𝑛+1 > 𝑎𝑛 ,
and the sequence is increasing.
b) In a similar way
𝑏𝑛+1 − 𝑏𝑛 = (𝑛 + 1)2 − (𝑛 + 1) − (𝑛2 − 𝑛) = 𝑛2 + 2𝑛 + 1 − 𝑛 − 1 − 𝑛2 + 𝑛 = 2𝑛 > 0.
Therefore, the sequence in increasing.
c) Obviously,
100𝑛
𝑐𝑛 = > 0 for 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁.
𝑛!
Let us compute
𝑐𝑛+1 100𝑛+1 𝑛! 1001 100
= = = .
𝑐𝑛 (𝑛 + 1)! 100𝑛 (𝑛 + 1) (𝑛 + 1)
It is clear that the last expression is greater than 1 for small values of 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁 but it becomes smaller
than 1 for 𝑛 > 100. Therefore, the sequence is decreasing.

4. Check whether given sequences are monotonic:

𝑛+1 𝑛2 + 1
𝑎) 𝑎𝑛 = ; 𝑏) 𝑏𝑛 = ; 𝑐) 𝑐𝑛 = √𝑛2 + 2𝑛 − 𝑛.
𝑛 𝑛!

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 5. Prove that:
2𝑛
𝑎) lim 𝑛+1 = 2;
𝑛→∞
𝑏) lim √𝑛 + 1 = +∞;
𝑛→∞
𝑐) lim (5 − 2𝑛 ) = −∞;
𝑛→∞
𝑑) lim (−1)𝑛 𝑛2 does not exist;
𝑛→∞
1000𝑛
𝑒) lim 2 = 0.
𝑛→∞ 𝑛 + 1

Solution.
2𝑛
a) According to definition, lim = 2 if for any 𝜀 > 0 there exists such number 𝑛0 ∈ 𝑵 that
𝑛→∞ 𝑛+1
for every 𝑛 > 𝑛0 the following inequality holds
2𝑛
| − 2| < 𝜀.
𝑛+1
We can rewrite this inequality in the form
2𝑛 2𝑛 − 2𝑛 − 2 2 2 2−𝜀
| − 2| = | |= < 𝜀 or < 𝑛 + 1 or 𝑛 > .
𝑛+1 𝑛+1 𝑛+1 𝜀 𝜀
2−𝜀
Then we can choose an integer part of 𝜀 as number 𝑛0 :
2−𝜀
𝑛 > 𝑛0 = [ ].
𝜀
Thus, for any given 𝜀 > 0 we can choose 𝑛0 defined above and for all 𝑛 > 𝑛0 we have
2𝑛
| − 2| < 𝜀.
𝑛+1
2𝑛
According to the definition, number 2 is a limit of the sequence 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑛+1 as 𝑛 → ∞.

6. Using Theorem that if the sequence is increasing and is bounded above then it is convergent,
prove that given sequence is convergent and find its limit:
2𝑛 𝑏𝑛
𝑎) 𝑎𝑛 = ; 𝑏) 𝑏1 = 2, 𝑏𝑛+1 = ; 𝑐) 𝑐1 = 3, 𝑐𝑛+1 = 3√𝑐𝑛 + 6 .
𝑛! 1 + 𝑏𝑛

Theorem. (statement on increasing sequence)

If the sequence {𝑎𝑛 } is bounded above and is increasing then it converges and its limit is greater
than any term of this sequence.
If the sequence {𝑎𝑛 } is bounded below and is decreasing then it converges and its limit is less than
any term of this sequence.

7. Using Theorem on arithmetic operations on two sequences find limits of given sequences:
3
3𝑛 − 2𝑛 5𝑛6 − 3𝑛4 + 2 √𝑛2 + 1
𝑎) lim 𝑛 ; 𝑏) lim ; 𝑐) lim .
𝑛→∞ 4 − 3𝑛 𝑛→∞ 5 − 10𝑛6 𝑛→∞ 𝑛

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 𝑑) lim (√𝑛2 + 4𝑛 + 1 − √𝑛2 + 2𝑛).
𝑛→∞

1 𝑛
8. Using a definition of the base of natural logarithm 𝑒 = lim (1 + 𝑛) and arithmetic opera-
𝑛→∞
tions of limits, find limits of given sequences:
6𝑛
1 1 𝑛 4𝑛 𝑛
𝑎) lim (1 + ) ; 𝑏) lim (1 − 2 ) ; 𝑐) lim ( ) .
𝑛→∞ 2𝑛 + 3 𝑛→∞ 𝑛 𝑛→∞ 4𝑛 + 1