
Section 22.2: Convergence and Divergence of Series • 481
Here’s how to justify the above limit. First, when r ≥ 0, the limit fol-
PSfrag replacements
(
a, b)
[
a, b]
(
a, b]
[
a, b)
(
a, ∞)
[
a, ∞)
(
−∞, b)
(
−∞, b]
(
−∞, ∞)
{
x : a < x < b}
{
x : a ≤ x ≤ b}
{
x : a < x ≤ b}
{
x : a ≤ x < b}
{
x : x ≥ a}
{
x : x > a}
{
x : x ≤ b}
{
x : x < b}
R
a
b
shadow
0
1
4
−
2
3
−
3
g(
x) = x
2
f(
x) = x
3
g(
x) = x
2
f(
x) = x
3
mirror (
y = x)
f
−
1
(x) =
3
√
x
y = h
(x)
y = h
−
1
(x)
y = (
x − 1)
2
−
1
x
Same height
−
x
Same length,
opposite signs
y = −
2x
−
2
1
y =
1
2
x − 1
2
−
1
y = 2
x
y = 10
x
y = 2
−
x
y = log
2
(
x)
4
3 units
mirror (
x-axis)
y = |
x|
y = |
log
2
(x)|
θ radians
θ units
30
◦
=
π
6
45
◦
=
π
4
60
◦
=
π
3
120
◦
=
2
π
3
135
◦
=
3
π
4
150
◦
=
5
π
6
90
◦
=
π
2
180
◦
= π
210
◦
=
7
π
6
225
◦
=
5
π
4
240
◦
=
4
π
3
270
◦
=
3
π
2
300
◦
=
5
π
3
315
◦
=
7
π
4
330
◦
=
11
π
6
0
◦
= 0 radians
θ
hypotenuse
opposite
adjacent
0 (
≡ 2π)
π
2
π
3
π
2
I
II
III
IV
θ
(
x, y)
x
y
r
7
π
6
reference angle
reference angle =
π
6
sin +
sin −
cos +
cos −
tan +
tan −
A
S
T
C
7
π
4
9
π
13
5
π
6
(this angle is
5
π
6
clockwise)
1
2
1
2
3
4
5
6
0
−
1
−
2
−
3
−
4
−
5
−
6
−
3π
−
5
π
2
−
2π
−
3
π
2
−
π
−
π
2
3
π
3
π
5
π
2
2
π
3
π
2
π
π
2
y = sin(
x)
1
0
−
1
−
3π
−
5
π
2
−
2π
−
3
π
2
−
π
−
π
2
3
π
5
π
2
2
π
2
π
3
π
2
π
π
2
y = sin(
x)
y = cos(
x)
−
π
2
π
2
y = tan(
x), −
π
2
< x <
π
2
0
−
π
2
π
2
y = tan(
x)
−
2π
−
3π
−
5
π
2
−
3
π
2
−
π
−
π
2
π
2
3
π
3
π
5
π
2
2
π
3
π
2
π
y = sec(
x)
y = csc(
x)
y = cot(
x)
y = f(
x)
−
1
1
2
y = g(
x)
3
y = h
(x)
4
5
−
2
f(
x) =
1
x
g(
x) =
1
x
2
etc.
0
1
π
1
2
π
1
3
π
1
4
π
1
5
π
1
6
π
1
7
π
g(
x) = sin
1
x
1
0
−
1
L
10
100
200
y =
π
2
y = −
π
2
y = tan
−
1
(x)
π
2
π
y =
sin(
x)
x
, x > 3
0
1
−
1
a
L
f(
x) = x sin (1/x)
(0 < x < 0
.3)
h
(x) = x
g(
x) = −x
a
L
lim
x
→a
+
f(x) = L
lim
x
→a
+
f(x) = ∞
lim
x
→a
+
f(x) = −∞
lim
x
→a
+
f(x) DNE
lim
x
→a
−
f(x) = L
lim
x
→a
−
f(x) = ∞
lim
x
→a
−
f(x) = −∞
lim
x
→a
−
f(x) DNE
M
}
lim
x
→a
−
f(x) = M
lim
x
→a
f(x) = L
lim
x
→a
f(x) DNE
lim
x
→∞
f(x) = L
lim
x
→∞
f(x) = ∞
lim
x
→∞
f(x) = −∞
lim
x
→∞
f(x) DNE
lim
x
→−∞
f(x) = L
lim
x
→−∞
f(x) = ∞
lim
x
→−∞
f(x) = −∞
lim
x
→−∞
f(x) DNE
lim
x →a
+
f(
x) = ∞
lim
x →a
+
f(
x) = −∞
lim
x →a
−
f(
x) = ∞
lim
x →a
−
f(
x) = −∞
lim
x →a
f(
x) = ∞
lim
x →a
f(
x) = −∞
lim
x →a
f(
x) DNE
y = f (
x)
a
y =
|
x|
x
1
−
1
y =
|
x + 2|
x + 2
1
−
1
−
2
1
2
3
4
a
a
b
y = x sin
1
x
y = x
y = −
x
a
b
c
d
C
a
b
c
d
−
1
0
1
2
3
time
y
t
u
(
t, f(t))
(
u, f(u))
time
y
t
u
y
x
(
x, f(x))
y = |
x|
(
z, f(z))
z
y = f(
x)
a
tangent at x = a
b
tangent at x = b
c
tangent at x = c
y = x
2
tangent
at x = −
1
u
v
uv
u + ∆
u
v + ∆
v
(
u + ∆u)(v + ∆v)
∆
u
∆
v
u
∆v
v∆
u
∆
u∆v
y = f(
x)
1
2
−
2
y = |
x
2
− 4|
y = x
2
− 4
y = −
2x + 5
y = g(
x)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
−
1
−
2
−
3
−
4
−
5
−
6
y = f (
x)
3
−
3
3
−
3
0
−
1
2
easy
hard
flat
y = f
0
(
x)
3
−
3
0
−
1
2
1
−
1
y = sin(
x)
y = x
x
A
B
O
1
C
D
sin(
x)
tan(
x)
y =
sin(
x)
x
π
2
π
1
−
1
x = 0
a = 0
x > 0
a > 0
x < 0
a < 0
rest position
+
−
y = x
2
sin
1
x
N
A
B
H
a
b
c
O
H
A
B
C
D
h
r
R
θ
1000
2000
α
β
p
h
y = g(
x) = log
b
(x)
y = f(
x) = b
x
y = e
x
5
10
1
2
3
4
0
−
1
−
2
−
3
−
4
y = ln(
x)
y = cosh(
x)
y = sinh(
x)
y = tanh(
x)
y = sech(
x)
y = csch(
x)
y = coth(
x)
1
−
1
y = f(
x)
original function
inverse function
slope = 0 at (
x, y)
slope is infinite at (
y, x)
−
108
2
5
1
2
1
2
3
4
5
6
0
−
1
−
2
−
3
−
4
−
5
−
6
−
3π
−
5
π
2
−
2π
−
3
π
2
−
π
−
π
2
3
π
3
π
5
π
2
2
π
3
π
2
π
π
2
y = sin(
x)
1
0
−
1
−
3π
−
5
π
2
−
2π
−
3
π
2
−
π
−
π
2
3
π
5
π
2
2
π
2
π
3
π
2
π
π
2
y = sin(
x)
y = sin(
x), −
π
2
≤ x ≤
π
2
−
2
−
1
0
2
π
2
−
π
2
y = sin
−
1
(x)
y = cos(
x)
π
π
2
y = cos
−
1
(x)
−
π
2
1
x
α
β
y = tan(
x)
y = tan(
x)
1
y = tan
−
1
(x)
y = sec(
x)
y = sec
−
1
(x)
y = csc
−
1
(x)
y = cot
−
1
(x)
1
y = cosh
−
1
(x)
y = sinh
−
1
(x)
y = tanh
−
1
(x)
y = sech
−
1
(x)
y = csch
−
1
(x)
y = coth
−
1
(x)
(0
, 3)
(2
, −1)
(5
, 2)
(7
, 0)
(
−1, 44)
(0
, 1)
(1
, −12)
(2
, 305)
y = 1
2
(2
, 3)
y = f(
x)
y = g(
x)
a
b
c
a
b
c
s
c
0
c
1
(
a, f(a))
(
b, f(b))
1
2
1
2
3
4
5
6
0
−
1
−
2
−
3
−
4
−
5
−
6
−
3π
−
5
π
2
−
2π
−
3
π
2
−
π
−
π
2
3
π
3
π
5
π
2
2
π
3
π
2
π
π
2
y = sin(
x)
1
0
−
1
−
3π
−
5
π
2
−
2π
−
3
π
2
−
π
−
π
2
3
π
5
π
2
2
π
2
π
3
π
2
π
π
2
c
OR
Local maximum
Local minimum
Horizontal point of inflection
1
e
y = f
0
(
x)
y = f (
x) = x ln(x)
−
1
e
?
y = f(
x) = x
3
y = g(
x) = x
4
x
f(
x)
−
3
−
2
−
1
0
1
2
1
2
3
4
+
−
?
1
5
6
3
f
0
(
x)
2 −
1
2
√
6
2 +
1
2
√
6
f
00
(
x)
7
8
g
00
(
x)
f
00
(
x)
0
y =
(
x − 3)(x − 1)
2
x
3
(
x + 2)
y = x ln(
x)
1
e
−
1
e
5
−
108
2
α
β
2 −
1
2
√
6
2 +
1
2
√
6
y = x
2
(
x − 5)
3
−
e
−
1/2
√
3
e
−
1/2
√
3
−
e
−3/2
e
−
3/2
−
1
√
3
1
√
3
−
1
1
y = xe
−
3x
2
/2
y =
x
3
− 6
x
2
+ 13x − 8
x
28
2
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
−
100
−
200
−
300
−
400
−
500
−
600
0
10
−
10
5
−
5
20
−
20
15
−
15
0
4
5
6
x
P
0
(
x)
+
−
−
existing fence
new fence
enclosure
A
h
b
H
99
100
101
h
dA/dh
r
h
1
2
7
shallow
deep
LAND
SEA
N
y
z
s
t
3
11
9
L
(11)
√
11
y = L
(x)
y = f (
x)
11
y = L
(x)
y = f(
x)
F
P
a
a + ∆
x
f(
a + ∆x)
L
(a + ∆x)
f(
a)
error
df
∆
x
a
b
y = f(
x)
true zero
starting approximation
better approximation
v
t
3
5
50
40
60
4
20
30
25
t
1
t
2
t
3
t
4
t
n
−2
t
n
−1
t
0
= a
t
n
= b
v
1
v
2
v
3
v
4
v
n
−1
v
n
−
30
6
30
|
v|
a
b
p
q
c
v(
c)
v(
c
1
)
v(
c
2
)
v(
c
3
)
v(
c
4
)
v(
c
5
)
v(
c
6
)
t
1
t
2
t
3
t
4
t
5
c
1
c
2
c
3
c
4
c
5
c
6
t
0
=
a
t
6
=
b
t
16
=
b
t
10
=
b
a
b
x
y
y = f(
x)
1
2
y = x
5
0
−
2
y = 1
a
b
y = sin(
x)
π
−
π
0
−
1
−
2
0
2
4
y = x
2
0
1
2
3
4
2
n
4
n
6
n
2(
n−2)
n
2(
n−1)
n
2
n
n
= 2
width of each interval =
2
n
−
2
1
3
0
I
II
III
IV
4
y
dx
y = −
x
2
− 2x + 3
3
−
5
y = |−
x
2
− 2x + 3|
I
II
IIa
5
3
0
1
2
a
b
y = f (
x)
y = g(
x)
y = x
2
a
b
5
3
0
1
2
y =
√
x
2
√
2
2
2
dy
x
2
a
b
y = f(
x)
y = g(
x)
M
m
1
2
−
1
−
2
0
y = e
−
x
2
1
2
e
−
1/4
f
av
y = f
av
c
A
M
0
1
2
a
b
x
t
y = f (
t)
F (
x )
y = f (
t)
F (
x + h)
x + h
F (
x + h) − F (x)
f(
x)
1
2
y = sin(
x)
π
−
π
−
1
−
2
y =
1
x
y = x
2
1
2
1
−
1
y = ln
|x|
θ
a
x
a
x
p
a
2
− x
2
3
x
p
9 − x
2
p
x
2
+ a
2
x
a
p
x
2
+ 15
x
√
15
x
p
x
2
− a
2
a
x
p
x
2
− 4
2
x
−
p
x
2
− a
2
a
x
−
p
x
2
− 4
2
y = f(x)
a
b
a + ε
ε
Z
b
a+ε
f(x) dx
small
even smaller
y = g(x)
infinite area
finite area
1
y =
1
x
y =
1
x
p
, p < 1 (typical)
y =
1
x
p
, p > 1 (typical)
lows from the similar limit involving r
x
that we looked at in Section 9.4.4 of
Chapter 9 (see the middle box). The tricky case occurs when r < 0, since the
resulting sequence oscillates. To deal with the oscillations, notice that
−|r|
n
≤ r
n
≤ |r|
n
for all n. The nice thing about this is that the sequences {−|r|
n
} and {|r|
n
}
aren’t oscillating. In fact, if −1 < r < 0, then |r| < 1, so we already know
that both of the sequences converge to 0; now we can just use the sandwich
principle to see that r
n
→ 0 as well. Finally, if r ≤ −1, then r
n
cannot
possibly converge, since it keeps flipping between positive numbers greater
than equal to 1 and negative numbers less than or equal to −1. The resulting
limit does not exist (DNE) due to these oscillations. (The situation here is
similar to the limit lim
x →∞
sin(x) which we looked at in Section 3.4 of Chapter 3;
also check out Section A.3.4 of Appendix A.)
Geometric progessions don’t have to start at 1. If we set a
n
= ar
n
, where
a is some constant, then the first term a
0
is equal to a. You can find lim
n →∞
ar
n
by multiplying the values of lim
n →∞
r
n
in the box above by a. Most important,
if −1 < r < 1, then lim
n →∞
ar
n
is 0 regardless of the value of a.
Having spent a lot of time on geometric progressions, let’s look at the limit
of another sequence very quickly. In particular, if k is any constant, then
lim
n→∞
1 +
k
n
n
= e
k
.
This follows directly from the limit at the beginning of Section 9.2.3 in Chap-
ter 9. It’s really useful to know this limit in the context of sequences, however.
22.2 Convergence and Divergence of Series
A series is just a sum. We’d like to add up all of the terms of a sequence a
n
.
So, instead of putting commas between the elements, you put plus signs. If
the sequence is infinite, things get a little hairy—after all, what does it even
mean to add up infinitely many numbers? For example, if the sequence a
n
is
the geometric progression 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, . . . , then the corresponding series is
1 + 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + ···. We need to do something clever to handle the dots
at the end, which indicate that the series goes on forever.
In general, we’d like to understand what
a
1
+ a
2
+ a
3
+ ···
means. To deal with this infinite sum, let’s chop it off after some large number
of terms. We’ll call the number of terms N, so the chopped-off series looks
like this:
a
1
+ a
2
+ a
3
+ ··· + a
N−1
+ a
N
.
This is just a sum of finitely many quantities, so it makes sense. Now, here’s
what we’d like to say:
a
1
+ a
2
+ a
3
+ ··· = lim
N→∞
(a
1
+ a
2
+ a
3
+ ··· + a
N−1
+ a
N
).