Lec 11: Infinite limits

MATH 147 Section 2, Fall Term 2022

I (We will first finish the material from Lecture 10)

I Definition for infinite limits
I Propositions about infinite limits

Key references: Text book sec 1.6

Definition for infinite limits

Definition 1
Let {an }∞
n=1 be a sequence of real numbers.

We say that the sequence {an } diverges to +∞ or that the limit of the sequence {an } is +∞ if for all M > 0
there exists a natural number N such that an > M whenever n ≥ N. In such cases, we write lim an = +∞.
n→∞

(We can write ∞ instead of +∞ in the definition above without changing the meaning.)
We say that the sequence {an } diverges to −∞ or that the limit of the sequence {an } is −∞ if for all M > 0
there exists a natural number N such that an < −M whenever n ≥ N. In such cases, we write lim an = −∞.
n→∞

Warning: Despite this notation and terminology, we do not say that the limit exists if the limit is ±∞.
Whenever we refer to the existence of a limit, we mean a finite limit.

Exercise
√
Show that lim n − 1 = +∞.
n→∞

Exercise
Show that if a sequence diverges to ±∞, then it diverges.
Arithmetic of infinite limits - part 1

In the following propositions, let {an } and {bn } be sequences of real numbers.

Proposition 1
lim an = −∞ if and only if lim (−an ) = +∞.
n→∞ n→∞

Proposition 2
Suppose that there exists N ∈ N such that an > 0 for all n ≥ N and suppose that lim an = 0. Then
n→∞
lim 1 = +∞.
n→∞ an

Question
What about the converse of Proposition 2?
Arithmetic of infinite limits - part 2

Proposition 3
Suppose that {an } either diverges to +∞ or converges to a positive limit. Suppose also that lim bn = +∞.
n→∞
Then lim an bn = +∞.
n→∞

Proposition 4
Suppose that {an } either diverges to +∞ or converges. Suppose also that lim bn = +∞. Then
n→∞
lim (an + bn ) = +∞.
n→∞

Remarks:
1. Propositions 3 and 4 suggest that in the context of evaluating infinite limits of sequences, we have the rules
(i) “x · (+∞) = +∞” for all x > 0, and “(+∞) · (+∞) = +∞”
(ii) “x + (+∞) = +∞” for all x ∈ R, and “(+∞) + (+∞) = +∞”.
2. Note that it is not always true that:
(i) “0 · (+∞) = +∞” or “0 · (+∞) = 0”
(ii) “(+∞) + (−∞) = 0”