5.

The Integral Test

Recall that a :-series is a series of the form

"
_
"
8œ"
8:

where : is some positive constant. As we have previously stated, such a series converges when
:  ", and diverges when :  ".
Our goal here is to explain this phenomenon. Along the way, we will develop a new test for
convergence which can be helpful when series are close to the barrier between converging and
diverging.

Improper Integrals
Recall that an improper integral is an integral involving an area that is infinite in extent. Such
integrals can be computed with limits. The following example should refresh your memory.

EXAMPLE 1 Compute (
_
"
.B.
$ B#
SOLUTION This integral is improper because one of the bounds is _. Technically, what this
means is that we should take a limit of integrals:

( (
_ ,
" "
#
.B œ lim #
.B.
$ B ,Ä_ $ B

Practically speaking, the limit doesn't come into play until after we figure out the antiderivative:

( .B œ ’ B" “ œ a!b  Œ  œ .
_
" _ " "
B # $ $ $
$

The limit occurred in the second step: it was how we plugged _ into B" . That is, we
computed
lim B" œ !
BÄ_

and treated this like the “value” of B" at _. è

EXAMPLE 2 Compute (
_
"
.B.
# B
SOLUTION We have

( .B œ ’ ln B “ œ a_b  aln #b œ _.
_
" _
è
# B #

As with series, an improper integral is said to converge if its value is finite, and diverge if its
value is infinite. For example, the integral ( (
_ _
" "
#
.B converges, but the integral .B
$ B # B
diverges.

CONVERGENCE OF P-INTEGRALS
The integral

(
_
"
.B
" B:

converges for :  ", and diverges for : Ÿ ".

Comparing :-Series with Integrals

We wish to show that the :-series

"
_
"
8œ"
8:

converges for :  ", and diverges for : Ÿ ". It turns out that the simplest way to do this is to
compare the series with an integral.

EXAMPLE 3 Consider the following series:

"
_
" " " " "
œ     â
8œ#
8# % * "' #&

We shall show that this series converges by comparing it with an improper integral.
 To start with, consider the following arrangement of rectangles:
C

ˆ#ß "% ‰
ˆ$ß "* ‰
ˆ%ß "'
"‰
ˆ&ß #&
"‰

" # $ % & ' B

The areas of the rectangles are "Î%, "Î*, "Î"', and so on, with the total area being the sum of the
series. However, all of the rectangles lie under the graph of "ÎB# :
C
"
C œ B#

ˆ#ß "% ‰
ˆ$ß "* ‰
ˆ%ß "'
"‰
ˆ&ß #&
"‰

" # $ % & ' B

In particular, the total area of the rectangles must be less than the area under the curve. But the
area under "ÎB# is finite:

(
_
"
.B œ "
" B#

It follows that

"
_
"
 ".
8œ#
8#

In particular, this series must converge. è

Using almost exactly the same argument, it is possible to show that

"  (
_ _
" "
.B
8œ#
8: " B:
for any positive exponent :. Since the integral is finite whenever :  ", it follows that :-series
converges for all :  ".
In the following example, we give another argument that the harmonic series diverges. Note
that the harmonic series is a :-series, where : œ ".

EXAMPLE 4 Consider again the harmonic series:

"
_
" " " " "
œ "      â
8œ"
8 # $ % &

We shall show that this series diverges by comparing it with an improper integral.
To start with, consider the following arrangement of rectangles:
C

Ð"ß "Ñ
ˆ#ß "# ‰
ˆ$ß "$ ‰ ˆ%ß "% ‰ ˆ&ß "& ‰

" # $ % & ' B

The first rectangle has area ", the second has area "Î#, and so on. Therefore, the total area of
these rectangles is equal to the sum of the harmonic series. We shall show that this total area is
infinite, thereby proving that the harmonic series diverges.
Observe that the graph of C œ "ÎB fits under the tops of the rectangles:
C

"
CœB

" # $ % & ' B

In particular, the area of the rectangles includes the area under the curve C œ "ÎB from " to _.
But the area under the curve is infinite:
 (
_
"
.B œ _
" B

Therefore, the total area of the rectangles must be infinite as well, so the harmonic series must
diverge. è

Using almost exactly same argument, it is possible to show that

"  (
_ _
" "
.B
8œ"
8: " B:

for any positive exponent :. Since the integral is infinite for : Ÿ ", it follows that the :-series
must diverge for all : Ÿ ".

The Integral Test

It turns out that the idea of comparing with an integral works under extremely general
circumstances. Essentially the only requirement is that the curve look similar to those in the
previous two examples: the it must lie above the B-axis, and it must be decreasing. As long as
these requirements are met, you can always show that a series behaves in the same way as the
corresponding improper integral.

THE INTEGRAL TEST

Let 0 aBb be a continuous function. Assume that 0 aBb is positive and decreasing on the interval
Ò"ß _Ñ. Then:

the series " 0 a8b the integral ( 0 aBb .B

_ _
and
8œ" "

either both converge or both diverge.

(This test also works if the number " is replaced by #, $, or any other starting point.)

For 0 aBb œ
"
, the integral test says that
B:

the series " the integral (

_ _
" "
and .B
8œ"
8: " B:

either both converge or both diverge. However, these are not only series that the integral test is
helpful for.
EXAMPLE 5 Determine whether the series "
_
"
converges or diverges.
8œ#
8 ln 8
SOLUTION This isn't a :-series, but we can still use the integral test to resolve this problem.
First, observe that the function

0 aB b œ
"
B ln B
is continuous and decreasing on the interval Ò#ß _Ñ. Therefore, by the integral test,

the series " the integral (

_ _
" "
and .B
8œ#
8 ln 8 # B ln B

either both converge or both diverge. We can evaluate the integral by substituting ? œ ln B:

( .B œ ( .B œ ’ ln B “ œ _.
_ _
" " _

# B ln B ln # B ln #

Since the integral diverges, the given series must diverge. è

EXAMPLE 6 Determine whether the series "

_
"
8 aln 8b#
converges or diverges.
8œ#

SOLUTION Observe that the function

0 aB b œ
"
B aln Bb#

is continuous and decreasing on the interval Ò#ß _Ñ. Therefore, by the integral test,

the series " the integral (

_ _
" "
8 aln 8b# B aln Bb#
and .B
8œ# #

either both converge or both diverge. We can evaluate the integral by substituting ? œ ln B:

( ( .B œ ’ B" “ œ
_ _
" " _ "
B aln Bb #
.B œ #
.
# ln # B ln # ln #

Since the integral converges, the given series must converge. è

Incidentally, the series in the last two examples are both very close to the barrier between
convergence and divergence. Both
" "
8 aln 8b#
and
8 ln 8

are smaller than "Î8, but bigger than any convergent :-series.
 »
" " " " " "
8 aln 8b
â ¥ ¥ "Þ" ¥ "Þ!" ¥ â ¥ #
¥ ¥ ¥ â
8# 8 8 8 ln 8 8
convergent divergent

In particular, both of these series are closer to the convergence/divergence barrier than any other
series we have encountered. As a general rule, the integral test tends to be quite useful for series
in the vicinity of this barrier.

EXERCISES

1–4 ç Evaluate the following improper integrals. 6–9 ç Use Integral test to determine whether the given series
converges or diverges.
1. ( 2. (
_ _

BÈB
" "
.B .B
6. " 7. "
" ! /B _ _
" ln 8
"  8# 8
3. ( 4. (
_ _ 8œ" 8œ#

È"  B
" "
.B .B
"  B#
8. " 9. "
! ! _ _
" "
8aln 8b $Î# 8 lnÐ8Ñ lnaln 8b
5. Find a general formula for (
_ 8œ# 8œ$
"
.B, assuming :  ".
" B: