Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences

National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal

Engineering Mathematics II - MA111 (2020 - 2021)

Problem Sheet 3
Infinite Series - Comparison Tests, Root and Ratio tests (Contd...)

1. Show that the series ∞ 1 1

P
n=1 n(n+1)(n+2) converges to 4 .

2. Show that ∞
P P∞
n=1 an converges if and only if n=p an converges for any p ∈ N.
3. Show that if n=1 an and n=1 bn converge then both ∞
P∞ P∞ P P∞
n=1 (a n + b n ) and n=1 (an − bn )
converge. Is the converse true? Justify.
Show that if ∞
P P∞ P∞
4. P n=1 an converges and n=1 bn diverges, then both n=1 (an + bn ) and
∞
n=1 (an − bn ) diverge.
5. If both ∞
P P∞ P∞
n=1 an and n=1 bn are divergent, then can anything be said about n=1 (an + bn )?
Justify.
6. Show that if ∞
P P∞
n=1 an is divergent then n=1 kan is divergent for any constant k 6= 0.
P∞
7. Show that n=1 (an − an+1 ) converges if and only if the sequence {an } converges. Using this
verify the convergence of the following series.
(a) ∞ 4
P
n=1 (4n−3)(4n+1)

(b) ∞ 2n+1
P
n=1 n2 (n+1)2

8. Let ∞
P P∞ P∞
n=1 an be a convergent series. Consider n=1 bn and n=1 cn where bn = max(an , 0)
and cn = min(an , 0).
(a) If ∞
P P∞ P∞
n=1 |an | converges then show that both n=1 bn and n=1 cn converge.
P∞ P∞ P∞
(b) If n=1 |an | diverges then show that both n=1 bn and n=1 cn diverge.
Let {an } be a sequence of non-negative
9. P real numbers such that an+1 ≤ an , for all n and
∞ P∞
a
n=1 n converges. Show that n=1 n(a n − an+1 ) converges.

10. If n=1 an converges, and if an 6= 1 and an ≥ 0 for all n = 1, 2, ..., then show that ∞
P∞ P an
n=1 1−an
also converges.
11. If both ∞
P 2
P∞ 2 P∞
n=1 an and n=1 bn are convergent, prove that the series n=1 an bn is also con-
vergent.
12. Let an ≥ 0, for all n ∈ N. If ∞
P
n=1 an converges, then prove that
P∞ 2
(a) Pn=1 an converges. Is the converse true? Justify. Does the result still remain true if
∞
n=1 an is not necessarily a series of non-negative terms? Justify.
P∞ √
(b) n=1 an an+1 converges.
√
(c) ∞
P an
n=1 n converges.
(d) ∞ an +4n
P
n=1 an +5n converges.

13. Let ∞
P P∞ P∞ 2
n=1 an be convergent. Then prove that n=1 |an | diverges if n=1 an diverges.

1
14. Let an ≥ 0, for all n ∈ N. Then show that if an 6= 0 for even one n, then ∞ a1 +a2 +...+an
P
n=1 n
diverges.
15. Let an ≥ 0, for all n ∈ N and n3 a2n → l, for some l > 0. Then show that ∞ an
P
n=1 n converges.
√

16. Gauss’s (or Raabe’s) Test: If ∞

P
n=1 un is a series of positive constants and there exist con-
stants C, K, and N such that
un C f (n)
=1+ + 2 ,
un+1 n n
P∞
where |f (n)| < K for n ≥ N, then n=1 un converges if C > 1 and diverges if C ≤P 1.
ShowPthat the results of Raabe’s Test agree with what you know about the series ∞ n=1 n2
1
∞ 1
and n=1 n .
17. Suppose that the terms of ∞
P
n=1 un are defined recursively by the formulas:

(2n − 1)2
u1 = 1, un+1 = un
2n(2n + 1)

Apply Gauss’s Test to show that the series converges.

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