MAS 311 Real Analysis I

Assignment 3 Due time: 29/09/2010

1. Let (xn ) be a sequence with xn ≥ 0 for each n ∈ N.

√
(a) If limn xn = 0, then limnxn = 0.
√ √
(b) If limn xn = x, then limn xn = x.

an
2. Prove that for any a > 0, limn = 0.
n!
3. Prove that if (xn ) is a sequence convergent to x, then limn |xn | = |x|.
Is the converse true?
4. Suppose that (an ), (bn ) are two sequences such that (an ) is bounded
and (bn ) converges to 0. Prove that the sequence (an bn ) converges to
0.
5. Suppose that (an ) and (bn ) are two sequences such that (an ) converges
to 0 and for each n ∈ N, |bn − b| ≤ an . Prove that (bn ) converges to b.
6. Suppose that (an ) is a sequence such that
1! + 2! + · · · + n!
an = .
n!
Prove that limn an = 1.
7. Suppose that (an ) is an increasing sequence and (bn ) is a decreasing
sequence with limn (bn − an ) = 0. Prove that limn an and limn bn both
exist and limn an = limn bn .
1
8. Let c > 0, and suppose that 0 < a < . Define a sequence (xn ) as
c
follows:
x0 = a, xn = xn−1 (2 − cxn−1 ) for n = 1, 2, · · · .
1
Prove that limn xn = .
c

1
 Tutorial Exercise
2n n!
1. Prove that limn = 0.
nn
2. Suppose that (an ) is a decreasing sequence with limit 0. Define
a0 + a2 + · · · + an−1
bn = .
n
Prove:
(a) (bn ) is decreasing;
(b) bn ≤ 12 (an + bn );
(c) (bn ) converges to 0.
3. Suppose that (an ) is a decreasing sequence convergent to a. Define a
sequence (bn ) as
a0 + a1 + · · · + an−1
bn = .
n
Prove that (bn ) also converges to a.
4. Evaluate the limit
1 3 2n + 1
lim( + 2 + · · · + n+1 ).
n 2 2 2
5. (a) Prove that for any n ∈ N+ ,
1 √ √ 1
√ < n+1− n< √ .
2 n+1 2 n
(b) Prove that the sequence
1 1 1 √
xn = 1 + √ + √ + · · · + √ − 2 n
2 3 n
converges.
6. Let x0 = a and x1 = b with b > a. Define
x2n−1 + 2x2n−2
x2n = ,
3

2x2n + x2n−1
x2n+1 = ,
3
for n ∈ N+ . Prove that the sequence (xn ) converges.

2
 Extra Exercise
1. Let c > 0. Find the limit of the following sequence:
r
√ √ √
q q
c, c + c, c + c + c, · · · .

2. Suppose that (xn ) is a sequence with

|xn+1 − xn | ≤ q · |xn − xn−1 |

for n ∈ N+ , where 0 < q < 1. Prove that (xn ) is a convergent sequence.

3. Suppose that a sequence (xn ) satisfies that for all n ∈ N, 0 < xn < 1,
1
and that xn+1 > . Prove that (xn ) is an increasing sequence
4(1 − xn )
with limit 1/2.

4. Suppose that (xn ), (yn ) are two sequences such that

(a) 0 < x0 < y0 ,

√ 1
(b) xn+1 = xn yn and yn+1 = (xn + yn ) for n ∈ N.
2
Prove that these two sequences are both convergent, with the same
limit.

5. Suppose that (yn ) is a strictly increasing and unbounded sequence, and

(xn ) is a sequence with
xn − xn−1
lim = A.
n yn − yn−1
Prove that
xn
lim = A.
n yn
This is called the Stolz Theorem.

6. By applying the Stolz Theorem to find the limits of the following se-
quences:

3
 1 + 21 + · · · + n1
(a) limn ;
ln n
1 + √12 + · · · + √1n
(b) limn √ ;
n
12 + 32 + · · · + (2n − 1)2
(c) limn .
n3