The LNM Institute of Information Technology

Jaipur, Rajsthan

MATH-I ■ Assignment #2

( Sequences)

1. Prove that limit of a convergent sequence is always unique.

2. Investigate the convergence/divergence of the following sequences:

(a) xn = n21+1 + n22+2 + · · · + n2n+n
n2 n2 2
(b) xn = n3 +n+1 + n3 +n+2 + · · · + n3n+2n
(c) xn = (n + 1)α − nα for some α ∈ (0, 1)
ns
(d) xn = (1+p) n for some s > 0 and p > 0
2n
(e) xn = n!
√ 1
 √ 1
 √ 1

(f ) xn = 2 − 23 2 − 25 · · · 2 − 2 2n+1
n!
(g) xn = (2n+1)!!
.
 
1 a
3. Let a > 0 and x1 > 0. Define xn+1 = 2
xn + xn
for all n ∈ N. Prove that the
√
sequence (xn ) converges to a.
1
4. Is the sequence an = n
a Cauchy sequence ?

5. Suppose that 0 < α < 1 and that (xn ) is a sequence which satisfies one of the
following conditions:
(a) |xn+1 − xn | ≤ αn , n = 1, 2, 3, . . .
(b) |xn+2 − xn+1 | ≤ α|xn+1 − xn |, n = 1, 2, 3, . . .
Then prove that (xn ) satisfies the Cauchy criterion. Whenever you use this result,
you have to show that the number α that you get, satisfies 0 < α < 1. The condition
|xn+2 −xn+1 | ≤ |xn+1 −xn | does not guarantee the convergence of (xn ). Give examples.

6. Let x1 ∈ R and let xn+1 = 71 (x3n + 2) for n ∈ N. Show that (xn ) converges for
0 < x1 < 1. Also conclude that it converges to a root of x3 − 7x + 2 lying between
0 and 1.

7. Using Sandwich Theorem, prove the following statements:

(a) For any real number x, there exists a sequence of rational numbers converging
to it.
(b) For any real number x, there exists a sequence of irrational numbers converging
to it.
(c) Let S be a nonempty bounded above set. Show that there exists a sequence of
elements of S which converges to sup S.