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    Convergence and Divergence

    Uploaded by

    Paula Fana

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Convergence and Divergence

    Uploaded by

    Paula Fana
    9 views3 pages

    Original Title

    CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE

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    9 views3 pages

    Convergence and Divergence

    Uploaded by

    Paula Fana

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 3

    CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE

    If the sum of a series gets closer and closer to a certain value as we


    increase the number of terms in the sum, we say that the series converges.
    In other words, there is a limit to the sum of a converging series.
    If a series does not converge, we say that it diverges.
    The sum of an infinite series usually tends to infinity, but there are some
    special cases where it does not.

    NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

     An arithmetic series never converges: as 𝒏 tends to infinity, the series will


    always tend to positive or negative infinity.
     Some geometric series converge (have a limit) and some diverge (as 𝑛 tends
    to infinity, the series does not tend to any limit or it tends to infinity).

    INFINITE GEOMETRIC SERIES

    THERE IS A SIMPLE TEST FOR DETERMINING WHETHER A GEOMETRIC SERIES


    CONVERGES OR DIVERGES;
    If −𝟏 < 𝒓 < 𝟏 then the infinite series will converge.
    If r lies outside this interval, then the infinite series will diverge.
    TEST FOR CONVERGENCE:
     If −𝟏 < 𝒓 < 𝟏, then the infinite geometric series converges.
     If 𝒓 < −𝟏 𝒐𝒓 𝒓 > 𝟏, then the infinite geometric series diverges.
    We derive the formula for calculating the value to which a geometric series converges
    as follows:

    value to which a geometric series converges as follows:

    1
    𝑛
    𝑎(1 − 𝑟 𝑛 )
    𝑆𝑛 = ∑ 𝑎𝑟 𝑖−1
    =
    1−𝑟
    𝑖=1
    Now consider the behavior of 𝑟 𝑛 for −𝟏 < 𝑟 < 𝟏 as 𝑛 becomes large
    1
    Let 𝑟 = :
    2

    𝑛
    1 1 1 1
    𝑛 = 1: 𝑟 = 𝑟 = ( ) =
    2 2

    𝑛
    1 2 1 1 1 1
    2
    𝑛 = 2: 𝑟 = 𝑟 = ( ) = ∙ = <
    2 2 2 4 2

    𝑛
    1 3 1 1 1 1 1
    3
    𝑛 = 3: 𝑟 = 𝑟 = ( ) = ∙ ∙ = <
    2 2 2 2 8 4

    Since 𝑟 is in the range −1 < 𝑟 < 1, we see that 𝑟 𝑛 gets closer to 0 as n gets larger.
    Therefore 1 − 𝑟 𝑛 gets closer to 1.
    Therefore,

    𝑎(1 − 𝑟 𝑛 )
    𝑆𝑛 =
    1−𝑟

    If −1 < 𝑟 < 1, then 𝑟 𝑛 → 0 𝑎𝑠 𝑛 → ∞


    𝑎(1 − 0) 𝑎
    ∴ 𝑆∞ = =
    1−𝑟 1−𝑟

    The sum of an infinite geometric series is given by the formula

    𝑎
    ∴ 𝑆∞ =∑𝑛𝑖=1 𝑎𝑟 𝑖−1 = (−𝟏 < 𝑟 < 𝟏 )
    1−𝑟
    Where
    2
     a is the first term of the series
     r is the constant ratio

    Alternative notation:

    In words: as the number of terms (𝒏) tends to infinity, the sum of a


    1
    converging geometric series (𝑺𝒏) tends to the value
    𝑎−𝑟

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