Lecture – 9 (17)

( xn ) ( yn ) (z )
Sequeeze Theorem : Suppose , and n are sequences of real numbers such that

x  yn  z n lim ( x n )  lim ( z n )
for all n , n and , then

lim ( x n )  lim ( y n )  lim ( z n )

.

Examples ( Using Sequeeze Theorem )

 Sin n 
lim    0
(1)  n 

1 Sin n 1
   , for all n  
Solution : Since n n n

 1 1
   
n n
and  and   both converge to ‘ 0 ’, therefore by Squeeze Theorem

 Sin n 
lim    0.
 n 

 1 
lim   0
 n n 
(2)  

1 1 1
   , for all n  
n n n n
Solution : Since

 1 1
   
and  n  and  n  both converge to ‘ 0 ’, therefore by Squeeze Theorem

 1 
lim   0.
 n n 
 
 (18)

(3)

lim n1/ n
2

  1

Solution : Since

 
2
1  n 1/ n  n 1/ n , for all n   n  nn , for all n  

and (1) and n  1/ n

both converge to ‘ 1 ’, therefore by Squeeze Theorem

lim n1/ n
2

  1.

Some Important Limits :

( 1 ) For 0 < b < 1 , then

lim b  n
 0

Proof :  > 0 is given. To find K , we first note that

bn  0   if and only if bn  

ln 
bn    n ln b  ln   n 
And ln b

ln 
K 
ln b , then bn  0  
Thus if we take for all n  K

Therefore , we assert that the sequence

b n
converges to ‘ 0 ’.

ln 0.01
K   20.6377 > 21
( For example if b = 0. 8 ,  = 0.01 , then ln 0.8 is required ) .

lim  n 1/ n   1
(2)

1 1
a n : n n  1 i. e ; n n  1  an i. e ; n  (1  a n ) n , for all n  
Proof : Let .
 lim ( a n )  0
Then by algebra of limit theorem, it suffices to prove that . Now we observe that

1
a n  0 , for all n  
because n  1 , for all n  1. .
n

(19)

Therefore by Binomial Theorem we have

1 1
n  (1  a n ) n  1  n a n  n ( n  1) a 2n  . . .  1  n ( n  1) a 2n
2 2

1
 n 1  n ( n  1) a 2n
2

2
  a 2n
n

1
 2 2
    an , for n  1
n

1 1
 2 2  2 2
0  an    and    0
Hence n  n

lim ( a n )  0 lim  n 1/ n   1
Therefore by Squeeze Theorem . Thus .

(3) For c  0 ,
lim c  1/ n
 1

Proof : Case – 1 ( c  1) Let

1 1
a n : c n  1 i. e ; c n  1  an i. e ; c  (1  a n ) n , for all n  
.
 lim ( a n )  0
Then by algebra of limit theorem, it suffices to prove that .

1
a n  0 , for all n  
because c  1 , for all n  1.
n
Now we observe that

Therefore by Binomial Theorem we have

1
c  (1  a n ) n  1  n a n  n ( n  1) a 2n  . . .  1  n a n
2

(20)

c 1
 c  1  n an   an
n

c 1 c 1
0  an  and  0
Hence n n

lim ( a n )  0 lim  c 1/ n   1
Therefore by Squeeze Theorem . Thus .

Case – 2 ( c  1)

lim  c 1/ n   lim (1)  1

Then .

Case – 3 ( 0  c  1)
1/ n
1 1 1
 1     1
Then c , so using Case – 1 we have c 1/ n c .

1
lim  c 1/ n    1.
Hence by Algebra of Limit Theorem 1

Theorem : ( Ratio Test For Sequences )

 x n 1 
L = lim  
 xn 
Let ( xn ) be a sequence with xn  0 , for all n   and such that  
exists. Then

(a) If L < 1 , then ( xn ) converges and lim ( xn ) = 0 .

 (b) If L > 1 , then ( xn ) is not bounded and hence is not convergent .

(c) If L = 1 , then no general conclusion can be draw . That is ( xn ) may or may not be
convergent . Examples :
 x n 1 
L = lim    lim  1  1
( xn )    1  xn 
(1) Consider , which converges to ‘1’ and  

 x n 1   n  1
L = lim    lim    1
( x )   n  xn   n 
(2) Consider n , which is a divergent and   .

(21)

Theorem : ( Root Test For Convergence )

( x ) L = lim  x1/n n 
Let n be a sequence of positive real numbers such that exists . Then

(a) If L < 1 , then ( xn ) converges and lim ( xn ) = 0 .

(b) If L > 1 , then ( xn ) is not bounded and hence is not convergent .

(c) If L = 1 , then no general conclusion can be draw . That is ( xn ) may or may not be
convergent . Examples :

( xn )   1 L = lim  x1/n n   lim  11/ n   1

(1) Consider , which converges to ‘1’ and

( x n )   n L = lim  x1/n n   lim  n1/ n   1

(2) Consider , which is a divergent and .

Exercises
(1) Using Algebra of Limits Theorem find the limits of following sequences :

 ( n / 2)  log n 
( xn )  
(i)
 3n  4 n


 (ii)

( y n )  ln n  1  1/ 2 ln n 

(iii)
( zn )  3 n 
1/ 2 n
 (iv)
( wn )   4n2  n  2n 
 (2) Use the Squeeze Theorem establish the following limits.

 ( 1) n 
(i)
lim  2
 n 2 
  0
(ii)
lim  ( n! ) 
1/ n 2
1

 Cos n  Sin n 
lim  ( 2 n  3 n )1/ n   3 lim 
 n2
  0

(iii) (iv)

(3) Discuss the convergence or divergence of the following sequences ( Use Ratio Test ) :

 n   n2   23 n   3n 
( xn )   n  ( yn )    ( z n )   2n  ( wn )   3 
(i)  2  (ii)  n!  (iii) 3  (iv)  n 

(22)

(4) Discuss the convergence or divergence of the following sequences ( Use Root Test ) :

 2n   n!   4n 
( xn )   ( yn )   n  ( zn )   2 
(i)

 n!  (ii)  n  (iii) n  (iv)
( wn )  n2 
n

xn
(5) Discuss the convergence or divergence of the following sequences with general term

given by :

2n  4 n n
1/ 2 n n  2  (1) n  n Cos
(i) 3n (ii) (3 n) (iii) (iv) 2

3 n 2  log n
n  3 n  n
(vii) n  3 n
2 3/ 2
(v) 2 2017 / n (vi) n
2017 / n
(viii)

5n  6 n 8n
(ix) 1  7n (x) n 1 / ( n  2017) (xi) n! (xii) n ( n  1)  n

3n  3 n ( n ! )1/ n
(xiii) n ( 4
1/ n
 1) (xiv) 3n  3 n (xv) n (xvi) log n  log ( n  1)
 3n 1 n 5n  1
Sin 
(xvii) n  (1) 7n  6
2 n 1/ n
(xix) ( log n ) (xx) n 6
n
( 1)
(xviii) 2