Limits of Sequences of

Real Numbers

Sequences of Real Numbers

Limits through Rigorous Definitions
The Squeeze Theorem
Using the Squeeze Theorem
Monotonous Sequences
Sequences of Numbers
Definition A sequence  x1,x2 ,x3 , K  is a rule that assigns,
to each natural number n, the number xn.

 1 1 1 
Examples 1  1, , , ,K 
 2 4 8 

2  1,1.4,1.41,1.414,1.4142,K 
3  1, 3,5, 7,9,K 
Limits of Sequences
Definition A finite number L is the limit of the sequence
 x1,x2 ,x3 , K  if the numbers xn get arbitrarily close
to the number L as the index n grows.
If a sequence has a finite limit, then we say that the sequence is
convergent or that it converges. Otherwise it diverges and is
divergent.
 1 1 1 
Examples 1 The sequence 1, ,
 2 4 8 , , K  converges
 
and its limit is 0.
2 The sequence  1,1.4,1.41,1.414,1.4142, K  converges
and its limit is 2.
3 The sequence (1,-2,3,-4,…) diverges.

Notation lim xn  L
n 
Computing Limits of
Sequences
The limit of a sequence  x  (1)
can be often computed by inserting n  
n

in the formula defining the general term x . If this expression can be

n

evaluated and the result is finite, then this finite value is the limit of
the sequence. This usually requires a rewriting of the expression xn .

 1 1 1   1 
Examples 1 The limit of the sequence  1, 2 , 4 , 8 ,K    2n 1  is 0 because
   
1
inserting n   to the formula xn  n 1 one gets 0.
2 1
 n  1 1 
2
n 12
n 2
2 The limit of the sequence  2  is 1 because rewriting 2 
 n  1  n  1 1
1 2
n
and inserting n   one gets 1.
 Computing Limits of
Sequences
Examples continued

3 The limit of the sequence  

n  1  n is 0 because of the rewriting

n 1 n
 n 1 n  n 1 n 
n 1 n


 n  1  n 
1
.
n 1 n n 1 n

Insert n   to get the limit 0.

Computing Limits by Maple
Maple commands Limit and
limit

Calling Limit(f,x=a,dir) and

Sequence limit(f,x=a,dir)

This command computes the limit of the expression f as the

variable x approaches the value a. The optional argument dir
can be used to define the direction from which the variable x
approaches the value a.
When computing limits of sequences, f is the general term of the
sequence and the variable x takes only positive integer values
and approaches the infinity.
Formal Definition of Limits of
Sequences
Definition A finite number L is the limit of the sequence
 x1,x2 ,x3 , K  if
  0 : n such that n  n  L  xn   .

1
Example lim  0 since if   0 is given, then
n  n

1 1 1
0    if n   n .
n n 
Limit of Sums
Theorem Assume that the limits lim xn  x and lim y n  y 
n  n 

are finite. Then lim  xn  y n   x  y  .

n 

Proof Let   0 be given.

We have to find a number n with the property
n  n  xn  y n  x  y    .

To that end observe that also  0.
2
Hence there are numbers n1 and n2 such that
  By the
n  n1  xn  x  and n  n2  y n  y   .
2 2 Triangle
Let now n =max  n1, n2  . We have Inequality
 
n  n  xn  y n  x  y   xn  x  y n  y     .
2 2
Limits of Products
The same argument as for sums can be used to prove the following
result.

Theorem Assume that the limits lim xn  x and lim y n  y 

n  n 

are finite. Then lim xn y n  x y  .

n 

Remark Observe that the limits lim xn y n and lim  xn  y n  may exist
n  n 

and be finite even if the limits lim xn and lim y n do not exist.
n  n 

1
Examples Let xn   1 n and y n 
n
2
. Then lim y n  0 and
n n 

the limit lim xn does not exist. However, lim xn y n  0.

n  n 
Squeeze Theorem for
Sequences
Theorem Assume that n : x  y  z and that
n n n

lim xn  lim zn  a.
n  n 

Then the limit lim y n exists and

n 

lim y n  lim xn  lim zn .

n  n  n 

Proof Let   0. Since lim xn  lim zn  a, nx  nz such

n  n 

that n  nx  xn  a   and n  nz  zn  a   .
Let ny  max  nx , nz  . Then
n  ny  a  y n  max  a  xn , a  zn    .

This follows since xn  y n  zn n.

Using the Squeeze Theorem
n!
Example Compute lim .
n  nn

Solution This is difficult to compute using the standard methods

because n! is defined only if n is a natural number.
So the values of the sequence in question are not given by an
elementary function to which we could apply tricks like L’Hospital’s
Rule.
n!
Observe that 0< n for all n  0. Here each term k/n < 1.
n
Next observe that
n ! 12 3L  n  1 n 1 2 3 n  1 n 1 n! 1
    L   . Hence 0  n
 .
n n
n n n L n n n n n n n n n n

1 n!
Since lim  0, also lim n  0 by the Squeeze Theorem.
n  n n  n
Using the Squeeze Theorem
 sin(n ) 
Problem Does the sequence   converge?
 n  cos(n ) 
If it does, find its limit.
Solution

We have  1  sin( n )  1 and  1  cos(n )  1 for all n  2,3,4,K .

1 sin(n ) 1
Hence    .
n  1 n  cos(n ) n  1

1  1 
Since lim  lim     0 we conclude that the sequence
n  n - 1 n 
 n - 1
 sin(n )  sin(n )
  converges and that lim  0.
 n  cos(n )  n  n  cos(n )
Monotonous Sequences
Definition A sequence (a1,a2,a3,…) is increasing if an ≤ an+1 for all n.

The sequence (a1,a2,a3,…) is decreasing if an+1 ≤ an for all n.

The sequence (a1,a2,a3,…) is monotonous if it is either increasing or

decreasing.
The sequence (a1,a2,a3,…) is bounded if there are numbers M and
m such that m ≤ an ≤ M for all n.

Theorem A bounded monotonous sequence always has a

finite limit.

Observe that it suffices to show that the theorem for increasing

sequences (an) since if (an) is decreasing, then consider the
increasing sequence (-an).
Monotonous Sequences
Theorem A bounded monotonous sequence always has a finite limit.

Proof Let (a1,a2,a3,…) be an increasing bounded sequence.

Then the set {a1,a2,a3,…} is bounded from the above.

By the fact that the set of real numbers is complete,

s=sup {a1,a2,a3,…}
is finite.

Claim lim an  s.
n 
 Monotonous Sequences
Theorem A bounded monotonous sequence always has a finite limit.

Proof Let (a1,a2,a3,…) be an increasing bounded sequence.

Let s=sup {a1,a2,a3,…}.

Claim lim an  s.
n 

Proof of the Claim Let   0.

We have to find a number n with the property that n  n  an  s   .

Since s  sup  an  , there is an element an such that s    an  s.

Since  an  is increasing n  n  s    an  an  s.
Hence n  n  an  s   . This means that lim an  s.
n 