Special Series:

Geometric and p-series

Del Socorro, Trevorr R.

Math23-1/C1
1st Term AY 2018-2019
 Special Series

i) Geometric Series

ii.) p-series
Geometric Series

In many important series, each term is obtained by multiplying

the preceding term by some fixed constant. Thus, if the initial
term of the series a and each term is obtained by multiplying
the
∞
preceding term by r, then the series has the form
෍ 𝑎𝑟 𝑘 = 𝑎 + 𝑎𝑟 + 𝑎𝑟 2 + 𝑎𝑟 3 … + 𝑎𝑟 𝑘 + … (𝑎 ≠ 0)
𝑘=0
Such series are called geometric series, and the
number r is called the ratio for the series
 Geometric Series

Examples
•1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + … + 2𝑘 + … a=1 r=2

3 3 3 3 3 1
• + 2 + + …+ + … a= r=
10 10 103 10𝑘 10 10

1 1 1 1 𝑘+1 1 1 1
• − + − + … + −1 + … a= r =-
2 4 8 16 2𝑘 2 2
 Geometric Series

∞
Theorem
෍ 𝑎𝑟 𝑘 = 𝑎 + 𝑎𝑟 + 𝑎𝑟 2 + 𝑎𝑟 3 … + 𝑎𝑟 𝑘 + … 𝑎 ≠ 0
𝑘=0
𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑓 𝑟 < 1 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑓
𝑟 ≥ 1. 𝐼𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑖𝑠
∞
𝑘
𝑎
෍ 𝑎𝑟 =
1−𝑟
𝑘=0
 Geometric Series

5 5 5 1
1. σ∞
𝑘=0 =5+ + + … 𝑎=5 𝑟=
4𝑘 4 16 4
1
𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑟 = < 1, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑖𝑠
4
𝑎 5 20
= =
1−𝑟 1− 1 3
4
 Geometric Series

81 729
2. σ∞
𝑘=1 32𝑘 51−𝑘 =9 + + + … 𝑎=9 𝑟=9
5 5

9
𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑟 = > 1, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠
5
 Geometric Series

3. Find the rational number represented by the repeating decimal

0.784784784
0.784784784. . = 0.784 + 0.000784 + 0.000000784…
𝑠𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑔𝑒𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎
= 0.784 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟 = 0.001 . 𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑠,

𝑎 0.784 0.784 784

0.784784784 … = = = =
1 − 𝑟 1 − 0.001 0.999 999
 Geometric Series

4. Express the repeating decimal 0.131313… as a rational number

13 13 13 1
0.131313 … = + + +⋯ 𝑟=
100 10000 1000000 100
13
𝑎 13
0.131313 … = = 100 =
1−𝑟 1− 1 99
100
 Geometric Series

5. Find the sum of the series 1 − 0.37 + 0.372 − 0.373 + …

|r| = |-0.37| < 1, therefore converges
𝑎 1 1 100
𝑆= σ∞
𝑛=0 𝑟
𝑛
= = = =
1−𝑟 1+0.37 1.37 137
 Geometric Series

6. Find the sum of the geometric series 125 + 25 + 5 + 1 +......

25 1
|r| = = < 1, therefore converges
125 5

𝑎 125 125 625

𝑆= = = =
1−𝑟 1− 1 4 4
5 5
 Geometric Series

7. Find the sum of the geometric series 2 + 1 + 0.5 + 0.25 + 0.125 +.......
1 1
|r| = = < 1, therefore converges
2 2

𝑎 2 2
𝑆= = = =4
1−𝑟 1− 1 1
2 2
 Geometric Series

8. . Express the repeating decimal 4.16826826826826...as a rational

number
4.1 + .1[.682 + .000682 + .000000682 + ...]
a1 = .682 and r = .001
1 682
0.682 41 10 1000
4.168268268… = 4.1 + 0.1 ( ) = + 990 =
1−0.001 10
41 641 1000
9990
Geometric Series

𝟑𝒏 𝟏 𝒏
9. Find the sum σ∞
𝒏=𝟏 ( 𝒏 =
𝟒 𝟓
1
𝑟 = < 1 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔
5 0
1
𝑎= =1
5
𝑎 1 1 5
𝑆= = = =
1−𝑟 1− 1 4 4
5 5
Geometric Series

𝟑𝒏 𝟐
10. Find the sum σ∞
𝒏=𝟏( + )
𝟒𝒏 𝟕𝒏

∞ ∞
𝟑𝒏 𝟐
෍ ( 𝒏) + ෍ ( 𝒏)
𝟒 𝟕
𝒏=𝟏 𝒏=𝟏

∞ 𝒏 ∞ 𝒏
𝟑 𝟏
෍ +𝟐෍
𝟒 𝟕
𝒏=𝟏 𝒏=𝟏
3 1
𝑟= 𝑟=
4 7
 p-series

A p-series is an infinite series of the form

∞
1 1 1 1
෍ 𝑝 =1+ 𝑝+ 𝑝+ … 𝑝+ …
𝑘 2 3 𝑘
𝑘=1
where p > 0
 p-series

Examples
∞
1 1 1 1
෍ 𝑝 = 1 + + + …+ + … 𝑝 = 1
𝑘 2 3 𝑘
𝑘=1

∞
1 1 1 1
෍ 2 = 1 + 2 + 2 +…+ 2 + … 𝑝 = 2
𝑘 2 3 𝑘
𝑘=1
 p-series

Theorem
∞
1 1 1 1
෍ 𝑝 =1+ 𝑝+ 𝑝+ … 𝑝+ …
𝑘 2 3 𝑘
𝑘=1

𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑓 𝑝 > 1 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑓 0 < 𝑝 ≤ 1

 p-series

∞ ∞
1 1
11. ෍ 5 = ෍ 𝑝
𝑛 𝑛
𝑛=1 𝑛=1

𝑝 = 5 > 1, therefore converging

 p-series

11.
∞
Using integral
∞
test:
∞
1 1 1
෍ 5 = ෍ 𝑝 = න 5 𝑑𝑥
𝑛 𝑛 1 𝑥
𝑛=1 𝑏 𝑛=1 −4
𝑥 𝑏
lim න 𝑥 −5 𝑑𝑥 = lim
𝑏→∞ 1 𝑏→∞ −4 1
1 𝑏 1 1 1
= − lim 4 ] = − 4 − 4 = , 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝑏→∞ 4𝑥 1 4 ∞ 4 1 4
 p-series

12. Determine if the following series converge or

diverge:
∞
1 1 1 1 1
෍ 1= + + + …+ + …
2 3 4 𝑛
𝑛=1 𝑛 2

1
𝑝= 𝑎𝑛𝑑 0 < 𝑝 ≤ 1, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔
2
 p-series

13. Determine if the following series converge or

diverge:
∞
1 1 1
෍ 0.7 = 1 + 0.7 + 0.7 + …
𝑛 2 3
𝑛=1
𝑝 = 0.7 𝑎𝑛𝑑 0 < 𝑝 ≤ 1, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠
 p-series

14. Determine if the following series converge or

diverge:
∞
1 1 1
෍ 1.4 = 1 + 1.4 + 1.4 + …
𝑛 2 3
𝑛=1
𝑝 = 1.4 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝 > 1, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠
 p-series

15.
∞
Determine if the following series converge or diverge:
1 1 1 1
෍ 3 = 3 + 3 + 3 + …
𝑛=1
𝑛 𝑛 1 1 2 2 3 3
∞
1 1
෍ 3 = 4
𝑛=1
𝑛 𝑛 𝑛3

𝑝 = 4/3 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝 > 1, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠

 p-series

16. Determine if the following series converge or

diverge:
∞ ∞ 1 ∞
𝑛 𝑛 2 1
෍ 2 =෍ 2=෍ 3
𝑛 𝑛
𝑛=4 𝑛=4 𝑛=4 𝑛2

𝑝 = 3/2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝 > 1, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠

 p-series

17. Determine if the following series converge or

diverge:
∞ ∞ ∞
𝑛 2 1 1
෍ 4=෍ 2=෍ 2
𝑛 𝑛 𝑛
𝑛=1 𝑛=1 𝑛=1

𝑝 = 2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝 > 1, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠

 p-series

18.
∞
Determine if the following series converge or diverge:
sec 2 𝑛 − tan2 𝑛
෍ Note: sec 2 𝑛 − tan2 𝑛 = 1
𝑛
𝑛=1

∞
1 1 1 1
෍ = 1+ + + + …
𝑛 2 3 4
𝑛=1

𝑝 = 1 , 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠
 p-series

19.
∞
Determine if the following series converge or diverge:
cos(2𝜋𝑛)
෍ 𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑒: 𝑐𝑜𝑠2𝜋𝑛 = 1
𝑛3
𝑛=1

∞
1 1 1 1
෍ = 1 + + + + …
𝑛3 8 27 64
𝑛=1

𝑝 = 3 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝 > 1, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑡

 p-series

20. Determine if the following series converge or diverge:

∞ ∞ 2 ∞
5 𝑛5 1
෍ 𝑛2 =෍ =෍ 2
1 −
𝑛=1 𝑛=1 𝑛=1 𝑛 5

2
𝑝=− 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝 ≤ 1, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑡
5