Scribd
Upload
36 views2 pages

Series Convergence Tests Overview

This document provides an overview of several common tests for determining if an infinite series converges or diverges, including: 1) The geometric series test, integral test, p-series test, comparison test, and limit comparison test, which can be used when terms follow specific patterns. 2) The absolute convergence test, ratio test, and alternating series test, applicable to broader classes of series. 3) Examples are given for each test to illustrate their use.

Uploaded by

Serdar Bilge
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
36 views2 pages

Series Convergence Tests Overview

This document provides an overview of several common tests for determining if an infinite series converges or diverges, including: 1) The geometric series test, integral test, p-series test, comparison test, and limit comparison test, which can be used when terms follow specific patterns. 2) The absolute convergence test, ratio test, and alternating series test, applicable to broader classes of series. 3) Examples are given for each test to illustrate their use.

Uploaded by

Serdar Bilge
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Math 2300

Tests for Series Convergence

Geometric Series.
P
n
2
3
A geometric series has the form
n=0 ar = a + ar + ar + ar + . . .. The geometric series
a
converges if and only if |r| < 1, in which case it converges to 1r .
Use this test when you see a constant ratio between consecutive terms.
?

n=1 4(0.25)

? 2 + 1 + 0.5 + 0.25 + . . .
? 30 + 300 + 3000 + 30000 + . . .
Integral Test.
If f (x) is a decreasing and positive function on [1, ) with f (n) = an for positive integers n,
then
Z

X
f (x) dx converges if and only if
an converges.
1

n=1

Use this test when your terms are given by a function that you can integrate.
?
?

n
n=1 n2 +1
3e1 + 3e2

p-series Test.
P
The series
n=1

+ 3e3 + 3e4 + . . .

1
np

converges if p > 1 and diverges if p 1.

Use this test when your terms are given by a constant power of n.
1
1
1
1
8 + 27 + 64 + 125 + . . .

? 1 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 5 + ...
P
0.34
?
n=1 7n

? 1+

Comparison Test.
If 0 an bn for all n beyond a certain value, then
P
P
(1) if
bn converges then
an also converges, and
P
P
(2) if
an diverges than
bn also diverges.
(The sums above start at any finite number and end at infinity.)
Use this test when you can simplify your series by making it slightly bigger or smaller.
?
?

1
n=1 n2 +5
P n1
n=1 n3 +3

Math 2300

Tests for Series Convergence

Limit Comparison Test.


an
Suppose
P an > 0 and bn > 0 for all n. If limn bn = c where c > 0, then the two series
and
bn either both converge or both diverge.

an

Use this test when your terms grow (or decay) at the same rate as a simpler series.
?
?

n2 +6
n=1 n4 2n+3
P
2n
n=1 3n 1

Absolute Convergence Convergence.


P
P
If
|an | converges, then so does
an .
Use this test when you know that the absolute value of your series converges.
P (1)n
?
n=1 n2
P (1)n5
?
n=1
n3
Ratio Test. (Ericas favorite.)
P
Given a series
an , compute
|an+1 |
= L, if it exists.
n |an |
lim

(1) If L < 1, then

an converges.
P
(2) If L > 1 or L = , then
an diverges.
(3) If L = 1, this test tells us nothing. Try a different test!
Use this test whenever you see factorials! Also useful for exponential and power functions.
P
1
?
n=1 (2n)!
P
(2n)!
?
n=1 n!(n+1)!
P 1
?
n=1 nen
Alternating Series Test.
An alternating series has terms that alternate in sign. A series of the form

(1) an

or

n=1

(1)n1 an

n=1

converges if 0 < an+1 < an for all n and lim an = 0.


n

Use this test any time you have an alternating series.


?

n=1

(1)n1
n

(the alternating harmonic series)

You might also like