Lecture : Infinite Series

Lecturer: Ruchi Telang Gode

1 Infinite series
Definition 1. Given a sequence of numbers {an }, an expression of the form al + a2 + a3 + ... + an + ... is
an infinite series. The number an is the n-th term of the series. The sequence {sn } defined by

s 1 = a1
s 2 = a1 + a2
..
.
sn = a1 + a2 + . . . + an
..
.

is the sequence of partial sums of the series, the number sn being the n-th partial sum. If the sequence of
partial sums converges to a limit L, we say that the series converges and that its sum is L. In this case, we
also write
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al + a2 + a3 + ... + an + ... = an = L
n=1

If the sequence of partial sums of the series does not converge, we say that the series diverges.

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When we begin to study a given series an we might not know whether it converges or diverges.
n=1

1.1 Geometric series

Geometric series are series of the form

a + ar + ar2 + ... + arn1 + ...

in which the first term a and common ration r are fixed real numbers and a 6= 0. The ratio r can be positive

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or negative. The series can also be written as arn1 .
n=1
a
If |r| < 1, the geometric series a + ar + ar2 + ... + arn1 + ... converges to 1r . If |r| 1 the series
diverges.

1.2 The nth-Term Test for a Divergent Series

Let S represent the series sum and sn = a1 + a2 + . . . + an the n-th partial sum. When n is large, both sn
and sn1 are close to S, so their difference, an is close to zero. More formally,

an = sn sn1 S S = 0

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 P
Remark 1. 1. The lim an must equal zero if the series n=1 an converges.
n

or

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an diverges if lim an fails to exist or is different from zero.
n
n=1

EXAMPLE: 1.1. Use the nth-Term Test for divergence to show that the series is divergent, or state that the
test is inconclusive

X n
1.
n+1
n=1

X n(n + 1)
2.
(n + 2)(n + 3)
n=1

X
3. n2
n=1

X n
4.
2n + 5
n=1

X 1
5.
n
n=1

1.3 Combining Series

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Theorem 1. If an = A and bn = B are convergent series, then
n=1 n=1

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X
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1. Sum Rule: (an + bn ) = (an ) + (bn ) = A + B.
n=1 n=1 n=1

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X
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2. Difference Rule: (an bn ) = (an ) (bn ) = A B.
n=1 n=1 n=1

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3. Constant Multiple Rule: (kan ) = k (an ) = kA (any number k).
n=1 n=1

Remark 2. As corollaries of above Theorem , we have the following results:

1. Every nonzero constant multiple of a divergent series diverges.

X X X
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2. If an converges and bn diverges, then (an + bn ) and (an bn ) both diverge.
n=1 n=1 n=1 n=1

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1.4 Adding or Deleting Terms of series
We can always add a finite number of terms to a series or delete a finite number of terms without altering
the series convergence or divergence, although in the case of convergence this will usually change the sum.

X X
If an converges, then kan also converges for any k > 1 and conversely.
n=1 n=k

2 Series of Nonnegative Terms

Tests for checking the Convergence and Divergence of the Series of Nonnegative Terms.

1. Integral Test

2. Ratio Test

3. Root Test

4. Comparison Test

1. The Integral Test

Let {an } be a sequence of positive terms. Suppose that an = f (n), where f is a continuous, positive,
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decreasing function of x for all x N (N a positive integer). Then the series an and the integral
Z n=N

f (x)dx both converge or both diverge.

N

X 1
EXERCISE: 2.1. Using integral test show that the p-series defined as where p is a real constant
np
n=0
converges if p > 1, and diverges if p 1.

2. The Ratio Test

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Let an be a series with positive terms, and suppose that
n=1

an+1
lim =p
n an
Then

a) the series converges if p < 1,

b) the series diverges if p > 1 or p is infinite,
c) the test is inconclusive if p = 1.

Remark 3. The Ratio Test is often effective when the terms of a series contain factorials of expressions
involving n or expressions raised to a power involving n.

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EXERCISE: 2.2. Investigate the convergence of the following series.

X 2n + 5
a.
3n
n=1

X (2n!)
b.
n!n!
n=1

3.The nth-Root Test

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Let an be a series with positive terms, and suppose that
n=1

lim (an )1/n = p

n

Then

a) the series converges if p < 1,

b) the series diverges if p > 1 or p is infinite,
c) the test is inconclusive if p = 1.

EXERCISE: 2.3. Which of the followiog series converge, and which diverge?

X n2
a.
2n
n=1

X 2n
b.
n3
n=1

X 1 n
c. ( )
1+n
n=1

4. The Comparison Test

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X
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Let an , cn and dn be series with nonnegative terms. Suppose that for some integer N > n,
n=1 n=1 n=1
dn an cn then then
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(a) If cn converges, then an also converges.
n=1 n=1
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(b) If dn diverges, then an also diverges.
n=1 n=1

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Theorem 2. (Comparison Test) Let an , bn be series with nonnegative terms, then
n=1 n=1

an X X
1. If lim = c > 0, then an and bn both converge or both diverge.
n bn
n=1 n=1

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an X X
2. If lim = 0 and bn converges, then an converges.
n bn
n=1 n=1

an X X
3. If lim = and bn diverges, then an diverges.
n bn
n=1 n=1

3 Alternating series
A series in which the terms are alternately positive and negative is an alternating series.
1 1 1 (1)n+1
EXAMPLE: 3.1. Alternating harmonic series: 1 2 + 3 4 + ... + n + ...
Does the above series converge?

3.1 The Alternating Series Test

Theorem 3 ( (Leibnizs Theorem)). The series

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(1)n+1 un = u1 u2 + u3 u4 + . . .
n=1

converges if all three of the following conditions are satisfied:

1. The un are all positive.

2. un+1 un , for all n > N for some integer N.

3. lim un = 0
n

EXAMPLE: 3.2. The alternating harmonic series

1 1 1 (1)n+1
1 + + ... + + ...
2 3 4 n
satisfies the three requirements of Leibnizs Theorem with N = 1; it therefore converges.
EXERCISE: 3.1. Test the convergence of

X 1
(1)n+1
2n
n=1

3.2 Absolute convergence

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Definition 2. A series an converges absolutely if |an | converges.
n=1 n=1

Definition 3. A series that converges but does not converge absolutely converges conditionally.
The alternating harmonic series converges conditionally.

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The Absolute Convergence Test

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Theorem 4. If |an | converges, then an converges.
n=1 n=1

X (1)n+1
EXERCISE: 3.2. Check the convergence and absolute convergence of alternating p-series .
np
n=1

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Theorem 5 (The Rearrangement Theorem for Absolutely Convergent Series). If an converges abso-
n=1

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lutely, and b1 , b2 , . . . , bi , .. is any arrangement of the sequence {an }, then bn converges absolutely.
n=1

READING MATERIAL: Section 8.3-8.7 of Chapter 8 Infinite Series from Thomas Finney Calculus , 9th
edition.