CHAPTER1 MAT455

1.4 Alternating series

The convergence tests that we have looked at so far apply only to series with positive
terms. An alternating series is a series whose terms are not all positive, but alternate in
sign (alternately positive and negative).

F) The Alternating Series Test (AST)

Theorem 6
The series of the form

∑∞ 𝑛
𝑛=1(−1) 𝑎𝑛 = −𝑎1 + 𝑎2 − 𝑎3 + 𝑎4 … … … .

or ∑∞
𝑛=1(−1)
𝑛+1
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 − 𝑎2 + 𝑎3 − 𝑎4 … … … .

converges if i) an+1 ≤ an for all n ( the sequence an is decreasing)

ii) lim𝑛→∞ 𝑎𝑛 = 0.

Otherwise, the series diverges.

Example 1
Determine if the following series converge or diverge.

(−1)𝑛−1 (−1)𝑛 3𝑛 (−1)𝑛+1 𝑛2

a) ∑∞
𝑛=1 b) ∑∞
𝑛=1 c) ∑∞
𝑛=1
𝑛 4𝑛−1 𝑛3 +1

1.4.1 Absolute Convergence

We have convergence tests for series with positive terms and for alternating series.
But what if the signs of the terms switch back and forth irregularly? We will see that
the idea of absolute convergence sometimes helps in such cases.

Given any series ∑ 𝑎𝑛 , we can consider the corresponding series

∑∞
𝑛=1|𝑎𝑛 | = |𝑎1 | + |𝑎2 | + |𝑎3 | + |𝑎4 | +…….

whose terms are the absolute values of the terms of the original series.

Definition 5

A series ∑ 𝑎𝑛 is called absolutely convergent if the series of absolute values ∑|𝑎𝑛 | is

convergent.

Note: if ∑ 𝑎𝑛 is a series with positive terms, then |𝑎𝑛 | = 𝑎𝑛 and so absolute

convergence is the same as convergence in this case.

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Example 2
The series
(−1)𝑛−1 1 1 1
∑∞
𝑛=1 = 1 − 22 + 32 − 42 +………..
𝑛2

is absolutely convergent because

(−1)𝑛−1 1 1 1 1
∑∞
𝑛=1 | | = ∑∞
𝑛=1 𝑛2 = 1 + + 32 + 42 … … …
𝑛2 22

is a convergent p-series (p = 2).

Definition 6
A series ∑ 𝑎𝑛 is called conditionally convergent if it is convergent but not absolutely
convergent.

Example 3
We know that the alternating harmonic series

(−1)𝑛−1 1 1 1
∑∞
𝑛=1 =1−2+ − ………
𝑛 3 4

is convergent (as discussed earlier), but it is not absolutely convergent because the
corresponding series of absolute values is

(−1)𝑛−1 1 1 1 1
∑∞
𝑛=1 | | = ∑∞
𝑛=1 𝑛 = 1 + 2 + + ………
𝑛 3 4
is a divergent harmonic series.
(apply AST to check for conditional convergence)

Example 4
Determine whether the following series is absolutely convergent, conditionally
convergent, or divergent.

(−1)𝑛 𝑛3 (−1)𝑛+1 (−1)𝑛 𝑛

a) ∑∞
𝑛=1 b) ∑∞
𝑛=1 4 c) ∑∞
𝑛=1
3𝑛 √𝑛 5+𝑛

TRY THIS

(−1)𝑘 𝑘
Determine whether the series ∑∞
𝑘=1 𝑘 2𝜋 +4 converges absolutely, converges
conditionally or diverges.

(Ans: absolute convergence)

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A FLOW CHART OF STEPS TO CHECK THE CONVERGENCE OF SERIES

Regular/Irregular alternate series

or positive series
(original series)

Consider
∑∞
𝑛=1|𝑎𝑛 |

Test the convergence

of the series

converges diverges

∑∞
𝑛=1|𝑎𝑛 | converges, thus
Check using AST for Satisfy both
original series converges conditionally convergence conditions
absolutely

Not satisfy both Original series

conditions converges
conditionally

Original series
diverges

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