MATH 2300-015 QUIZ 8 Due Monday, October 23rd Name:

1. Determine whether the following series converge or diverge. If a series converges and the
terms are not eventually positive, determine whether or not the convergence is absolute
∞
X n
(a)
n3 +1
n=1
X 1
Converges by direct comparison to . We have
n
n2

n 1 1
0≤ = 2 ≤ 2
n3 +1 n + 1/n n
X 1
and is a convergent p-series, p = 2 > 1.
n
n2
∞
X n2 + 1
(b)
n3 + 1
n=1
P 1 n2 +1
Diverges by limit comparison to n n. We have positive terms 1/n, n3 +1
and

1/n n3 + 1 1 + 1/n3
lim = lim = lim = 1.
n→∞ (n2 + 1)/(n3 + 1) n→∞ n3 + n n→∞ 1 + 1/n2
P
Therefore the sum in question diverges because n 1/n diverges (harmonic series,
p-series, p = 1 ≤ 1).
∞
X n3
(c)
5n
n=1
Converges by the ratio test (|an+1 /an | → 1/5). We have

(n + 1)3 /5n+1 (1 + 1/n)3

lim = lim = 1/5 < 1.
n→∞ n3 /5n n→∞ 5
∞
X (−1)n
(d) √
n=1
n+1
Converges conditionally by the alternating series test. First note that the series does
not converge absolutely
∞ ∞ ∞
X (−1)n X 1 X 1
√ = √ = √ ,
n=1
n+1 n=1
n + 1 n=2 n

a divergent p-series (p = 1/2 < 1).

√
However, the series is of the form n (−1)n bn with bn = 1/ n + 1 and
P

√ √ 1 1
0 < bn , lim bn = 0, n+1> n⇒ √ < √ , i.e. bn ≥ bn+1 .
n→∞ n+1 n

Hence the series converges by the alternating series test.

 ∞
X 1
(e) √
n=2 n ln n
1
Diverges by the integral test. The function f (x) = is positive and continu-
x(ln x)1/2
√
ous on (1, ∞), and is decreasing on (1, ∞) since both x and ln x are both increasing
there. We have
Z ∞ Z T Z ln T
dx dx du √ ln T
√ = lim √ = lim √ =2 u = ∞,
2 x ln x T →∞ 2 x ln x T →∞ ln 2 u ln 2

so that the series also diverges.

∞  
X n
(f) ln
3n + 1
n=1
Diverges by the divergence test (an → ln(1/3)). We have
     
n n 1
lim ln = ln lim = ln lim = ln(1/3) 6= 0.
n→∞ 3n + 1 n→∞ 3n + 1 n→∞ 3 + 1/n

∞ √
X
n−1 n
(g) (−1)
n+1
n=1
Converges conditionally by the alternating seriesP
test. Note that the series does not
√
converge absolutely, say by limit comparison to n 1 n:
√
n √ n
/(1/ n) = → 1 as n → ∞,
n+1 n+1
P √
and n 1/ n diverges √(p-series, p = 1/2 < 1). However, the series is alternating,
P n n
n (−1) bn with bn = n+1 :

bn > 0, lim bn = 0,
n→∞

and √ √
n + 2 3/2
   3/2
n n+1 1
≥ ⇐⇒ = 1+ ≥ 1,
n+1 n+2 n+1 n+1
so that bn is decreasing. Hence the series converges by the alternating series test.
∞
X cos(3n)
(h)
1 + (1.2)n
n=1
converges by direct comparison to n (1/1.2)n , a convergent geometric se-
P P
n |an |
ries. We have
cos(3n) 1
0≤ ≤
1 + (1.2)n (1.2)n
and n (1/1.2)n converges (common ratio r = 1/1.2 satisfies |r| < 1).
P
∞
X 1 · 3 · 5 · · · · · (2n − 1)
(i)
5n n!
n=1
Conveges by the ratio test (|an+1 /an | → 2/5). We have
1 · 3 · 5 · · · · · (2(n + 1) − 1) 5n n! 2n + 1 2
= → < 1.
5n+1 (n + 1)! 1 · 3 · 5 · · · · · (2n − 1) 5(n + 1) 5
 ∞ 
1+n n
X 
(j)
3n
n=1
Converges by limit comparison to n (1/3)n . We have
P

n n
(1/3)n
 
3n 1
lim 1+n n = lim = lim = 1/e,
n→∞ ( n→∞ 3n + 3 n→∞ 1 + 1/n
3n )

so the series in question converges by limit comparison.

∞
X nn
(k)
(2n + 1)!
n=1
Converges by the ratio test (|an+1 /an | → 0). We have

(n + 1)n+1 (2n + 1)! n+1

n
= (1 + 1/n)n → 0 · e = 0 < 1.
(2(n + 1) + 1)! n (2n + 3)(2n + 2)
∞
X 8n
(l)
n!
n=1
Converges by the ratio test (|an+1 /an | → 0). We have

8n+1 n! 8
n
= → 0 < 1.
(n + 1)! 8 n+1
∞
X (−1)n−1 2n
(m)
n2
n=1
Diverges by the divergence test, 2n /n2 → ∞.
∞
X cos(nπ)
(n)
n
n=1
Converges conditionally by the alternating series test (cos(nπ) = (−1)n ). We have
∞ ∞
X cos(nπ) X (−1)n
= ,
n n
n=1 n=1

which converges by the alternating

P series test (0 < 1/n decreases to zero). The
convergence is conditional since n 1/n diverges (harmonic series, p-series, p = 1 ≤
1).
∞
X tan(1/n)
(o)
n=1
n3/2
Converges by direct comparison to (π/4) n n−3/2 or by limit comparison to n 1/n5/2
P P
(tan(x) ≈ x for x small). Details omitted.
∞
X (−1)n
(p)
2 + sin n
n=1
Diverges by the divergence test, since 1 ≤ 2 + sin(n) ≤ 3.
 ∞
X
(q) sin(1/n2 )
n=1
Converges by limit comparison to n 1/n2 . We have positive terms sin(1/n2 ), 1/n2
P
and
sin(1/n2 ) sin x
lim = lim = 1.
n→∞ 1/n2 x→0 + x
The series n 1/n2 is a convergent p-series (p = 2 > 1), so the series in question
P
converges as well.
X∞
(r) (−1)n cos(1/n2 )
n=1
Diverges by the divergence test. We have

lim cos(1/n2 ) = cos( lim 1/n2 ) = cos(0) = 1.

n→∞ n→∞

∞
X
(s) 2− ln n
n=1
Diverges. This is a p-series in disguise, 2− ln n = 1/nln 2 , p = ln 2 < 1.
∞
2
X
(t) ne−n
n=1
2
Converges by the integral test. The function f (x) = xe−x is positive and continuous
on (0, ∞) and decreasing on [1, ∞) because
2 2 2 √
f 0 (x) = x(−2xe−x ) + e−x = e−x (1 − 2x2 ) < 0 for x > 1/ 2.
R∞
By the integral test, the series converges if and only if the improper integral 1 f (x)dx
converges. We have
Z ∞ Z T Z T2
−x2 −x2 1 1  2
 1
xe dx = lim xe dx = lim e−u du = lim e−1 − e−T = ,
1 T →∞ 1 T →∞ 2 1 2 T →∞ 2e

and the series converges.

2. Find the values of the following series telescoping or geometric series.

∞  
X 1
(a) ln 1 − 2
n
n=2
The sum is − ln 2. We have
N N   N
X X (n − 1)(n + 1) X
ln(1 − 1/n2 ) = ln = [ln(n + 1) + ln(n − 1) − 2 ln n]
n2
n=2 n=2 n=2
= [ln 3 + ln 2 − 2 ln 2] + [ln 4 + ln 2 − 2 ln 3] + [ln 5 + ln 3 − 2 ln 4]+
. . . + [ln N + ln(N − 2) − 2 ln(N − 1)] + [ln(N + 1) + ln(N − 1) − 2 ln N ]
= − ln 2 + ln(N + 1) − ln N = − ln 2 + ln(1 + 1/N ) → − ln 2.
 ∞
X 5 · 2n−3 + 2 · 3n−5
(b)
3 · 5n−2
n=4
The sum is 11/45 (the sum of two geometric series). We have
∞ ∞ ∞
X 5 · 2n−3 + 2 · 3n−5 X 5 · 2n−3 X 2 · 3n−5 2/15 2/225
= + = + = 11/45,
3 · 5n−2 3 · 5n−2 3 · 5n−2 1 − 2/5 1 − 3/5
n=4 n=4 n=4

recalling that the sum of a geometric series ∞ n a

P
n=0 ar is given by 1−r where a is the
first term of the series and r is the common ratio.

3. Use the integral or alternating series test remainder estimate for the following problems,
first showing that the series in question actually converges.
∞
X 1
(a) How many terms N of the series can we use to guarantee the remainder
n(ln n)2
n=2

∞ N
X 1 X 1
RN = 2
−
n(ln n) n(ln n)2
n=2 n=2

is less than 0.1?

The series converges by the integral test, n(ln1n)2 = f (n) where f (x) = x(ln1x)2 . The
function is positive and decreasing for x > 1 so the series converges if and only if the
associated improper integral converges
Z ∞ Z ∞
dx du
2
= 2
= ln 2.
2 x(ln x) ln 2 u

The remainder RN satisfies

Z ∞ Z ∞
f (x)dx ≤ RN ≤ f (x)dx
N +1 N

so the remainder RN will be less than 0.1 if

Z ∞
dx
2
= 1/ ln N ≤ 1/10 ⇐⇒ N ≥ e10 = 22026.46579 . . . ,
N x(ln x)

so that N ≥ 22027 suffices.

∞
X (−1)n
(b) How many terms N of the series can we use to guarantee the remainder
ln(ln n)
n=2

∞ N
X (−1)n X (−1)n
RN = −
ln(ln n) ln(ln n)
n=2 n=2

is less than 0.1?

The series is convergent by the alternating series test since, bn = 1/ ln(ln n) > 0,
limn→∞ bn = 0, and
1 1
bn = ≥ (clear).
ln(ln(n)) ln(ln(n + 1))
Hence the remainder satisfies |RN | ≤ bN +1 = 1/ ln(ln(N + 1)). So the absolute value
of the remainder |RN | will be less than 0.1 if
1 1 10
≤ ⇐⇒ ee ≤ N + 1,
ln(ln(N + 1)) 10
10
so any N ≥ ee − 1 ≈ 9.38 × 109565 will suffice (that’s a lot of terms...).