MATH1020U: Chapter 5 1

SEQUENCES AND SERIES

Sequences (Section 5.1; Book 2)

Definition: A sequence is an ordered list of numbers a1 , a 2 , a3 , ..., a n , ...

 (1) n n 
Example: Consider the sequence a n   2  . What are the first few terms?
 n 3 

Definition: A sequence a n  has the limit L and we write

lim an  L or a n  L as n  
n 

if we can make the terms a n as close to L as we like by taking n sufficiently large.

If lim a n exists, we say the sequence converges (or is convergent). Otherwise, we say
n 

the sequence diverges (or is divergent).

Theorem: If lim f ( x)  L and f ( n )  a n when n is an integer, then lim a n  L

x  n 

Since we’re working with limits, the limits laws we learned in Calc I/Intro Calc apply:
If { an }, { bn } are convergent sequences, and c is a constant, then:

lim (a n  bn )  lim a n  lim bn , lim (an  bn )  lim an  lim bn

n  n  n  n  n  n 

lim can  c lim a n lim ( an bn )  lim an  lim bn

n  n  n  n  n 

a n nlim an p
lim a   lim a n 

lim  if lim bn  0
p
if p  0 and a n  0
n  b
n lim bn n  n   n   
n
n 
MATH1020U: Chapter 5 2

For each of the following examples, determine whether the sequence converges/diverges.
If it converges, find the limit.

Application: Suppose the size of a population at time n, in years, is given by

500 n
P ( n) 
3 n
where the population is assumed to change once each year, so n = 1, 2, 3, …
What is the population after a very long time?

6n 2  3n  1
Example: a n  lim a n  _______
17 n 2  18n  4 n

Example: an  5 sin(8n) lim a n  _______

n

Example: an  8 arctan(n) lim a n  _______

n

ln( n )
Example: a n  lim a n  _______
n n

Note: If you took Calc I, techniques such as Squeeze Theorem can also help evaluate
limits. Also, if you're interested, see the text for the "alternating sequence theorem".

Infinite Series (Section 5.2; Book 2)

Recall: When we introduced this chapter, our motivation for studying sequences was
that so we could then work with series.

Maple Exploration: Go to Tools  Math Apps  Calculus  Series

MATH1020U: Chapter 5 3

If we add the terms of an infinite sequence {a n } , we get a1  a 2  a3  ...  a n  ...


which is called an (infinite) series, and is denoted, for short by a
n 1
n .

If we add up infinitely many terms, do we always get  ?

[How can a runner finish a race?]

________________________________________________________________


Definition: Given a series a
i 1
i  a1  a2  a3   , let s n denote it’s nth partial sum:

n
sn   ai  a1  a2  a3    an
i 1

If the sequence s n  is convergent and lim s n  s exists as a real number, then the series
n 

is called convergent and we write


a1  a 2  ...  a n    s or a
n 1
n s

The number s is called the sum of the series. Otherwise, the series is called divergent.

An important example is the geometric series:


a  ar  ar  ar ...  ar
2 3 n1
 ...   ar
n 1
n1
,a0

Definition: The Geometric Series,  ar

n 1
n 1
 a  ar  ar 2  

is convergent if | r | 1 and its sum is


a
 ar
n 1
n 1

1 r
, | r | 1

If | r | 1 , the geometric series is divergent.

MATH1020U: Chapter 5 4

Do the following series converge/diverge? If they converge, what is their sum?

 n 1
 8
Example:  7  
n 1  3


1
Example: 2
n 1
n


1 6 n 1
Example:  n1
n 19 5

Application: A dosage d of a drug is taken each day. The drug decays exponentially
with rate R in the bloodstream, so that the amount in the bloodstream after n days is
d  de  R  de 2 R    de  ( n1) R . If R = 0.1, what dosage of the drug should be
given to attain a long term level (i.e. after an “infinite” number of doses) in the
bloodstream of 2 mg?
[Source: Modified from “Calculus: Concepts and Connections” by Robert T. Smith and Roland B. Minton]

Example: Which of the following geometric series converge?

 n 1  n 1  n 
 2 10  1  1 7
 5  
n 1  7
  
n 1 3  5 
 6
n 1 
 
4
 0.3
n 1
n

Question: So what about series other than Geometric??? For most other series we’ll
encounter, we’ll just focus on determining whether it converges/diverges. We’ll learn 3
tests to do this: Divergence Test (today), Ratio Test and Root Test (next class)


Theorem: If the series a is convergent, then lim a n  0 .
n n 
n 1
MATH1020U: Chapter 5 5

From the above theorem, we get:


Test for Divergence: If lim a n does not exist or if lim a n  0 , then the series a is
n n n
n 1

divergent.

What does the Divergence Test tell you about the following two series?

1
Example: n
n 1
[This is called the Harmonic Series]

7 n 5  3n 2  1


Example:  5
n  1 3n  4 n  n
4 3

Example: For which of the following series is the Divergence Test inconclusive?

1 
1  
8n 5  1

n 1
7sin  
n

n 1 n
3  0.3
n 1
n

n  1 2  5n  7n
2 3

a
1
Example: Consider an 6 n
. a) Does the sequence converge? b) Does n
n 1

converge?

Finally, to help us work with series, we have some useful properties:

 
If  an and
n 1
b
n 1
n are convergent series, then

    

 can  c an
n 1 n 1
and  (an  bn )   an   bn
n 1 n 1 n 1

where these resulting series are also convergent.

  1  n1  1  n1 

Exercise:  3   5   [Answer: 14]
 4
n 1   2  