MATH 403 ANALYSIS I - SPRING 2010

SOLUTIONS to HOMEWORK 3

Problem 1. For each of the following sequences below compute

xn = inf{an , an+1 , . . .} and yn = sup{an , an+1 , . . .}
and lim inf an and lim sup an :
(a) an = (−1)n 1 + n1 .

(b) an = (−1)n+1 + n1 .
Solution: (a)
 
an = 1 + n1 
( (

1 n is even
an+1 = − 1 + n+1 n is even
xn = , yn = 1
an = − 1 + n1 an = 1 + n+1 n is odd,


n is odd
Hence
1 1
≤ xn ≤ −1
−1 − and 1 ≤ yn ≤ 1 + .
n n
So, xn → −1 and yn → 1, i.e., lim inf an = −1 and lim sup an = 1.
(b)  
(
1
an = 1 + n+1 n is even
xn = −1 and yn =
1


an = 1 + n n is odd.
So lim inf an = −1 and since 1 ≤ yn ≤ 1 + n1 , lim sup an = lim yn = 1.
Problem 2. Suppose that (an ) and (bn ) are sequences of real numbers such that
(a) Assume that an ≤ bn for every n. Show that
lim sup an ≤ lim sup bn and lim inf an ≤ lim inf bn .
(b) Assume that (an ) and (bn ) are nonnegative and bounded.Show that
lim sup(an bn ) ≤ (lim sup an )(lim sup bn ).
Solution: (a) Since an ≤ bn for all n, it follows that
xn := sup{an , an+1 , . . .} ≤ yn := sup{bn , bn+1 , . . .}
so that
lim sup an = lim xn ≤ lim yn = lim sup bn .
Similarly,
xn := inf{an , an+1 , . . .} ≤ yn := inf{bn , bn+1 , . . .}
so that
lim inf an = lim xn ≤ lim yn = lim inf bn .
(b) Let
xn := sup{an , an+1 , . . .} , yn := sup{bn , bn+1 , . . .}, zn = sup{an bn , an+1 bn+1 , . . .}.
Since ak bk ≤ xn yn for all k ≥ n, we have zn ≤ xn ≤ yn and consequently
lim sup(an bn ) = lim zn ≤ lim(xn yn ) = lim xn · lim yn = lim sup an lim sup bn .
There are cases in which one has strict inequality, that is
lim sup(an bn ) < (lim sup an )(lim sup bn ).
1
2

To see this consider for example the following sequences

( (
1 n odd 3 n odd
an = and bn =
2 n even 1 n even
Then (
3 n odd
an b n =
2 n even
Consequently,
lim sup an = 2, lim sup bn = 3, lim sup an bn = 3.
Problem 3. For what values of a and b the following series converge:
Pa 1

(a) n + n+1
Pa 1 b

(b) n + n+1 + n+2 .

Solution: (a) We have

a 1 a(n + 1) + n n(a + 1) + a
+ = = .
n n+1 n(n + 1) n(n + 1)
P −1
If a = −1, then the series is given by n(n+1) and it converges. If a 6= −1, then

n |a + 1|
|n(a + 1) + a| ≥ n |a + 1| − |a| ≥
2
for large n so that
 
 n(a + 1) + a  |a + 1| 1
 n(n + 1)  ≥ ·
 
2 n+1
1
P
and the series diverges by the comparison test the divergent series n+1 .
(b) Note that
a 1 b (a + b + 1)n2 + (3a + b + 2)n + 2a
An = + + = .
n n+1 n+2 n(n + 1)(n + 2)
If a + b + 1 6= 0, then

(a + b + 1)n2 + (3a + b + 2) + 2a ≥ |a + b + 1| n2
 
2
for large n and so
|a + b + 1| n2 |a + b + 1| 1
|An | ≥ ≥
2 (n + 1)(n + 2) 8 n
1
since (n + 1)(n + 2) < 4n2 for n ≥ 1. Since
P P
n diverges, An diverges. Assume
now that a + b + 1 = 0. Then if 3a + b + 2 6= 0, then |3a + b + 2)n + 2a| ≤
2 |3a + b + 2| n for large n so that
2 |3a + b + 2|
|An | ≤
(n + 1)(n + 2)
P 1
and the series converges since (n+1)(n+2) converges. If 3a + b + 2 = 0, then
2a = −1, and the series converges.
 3

Problem 4. Let (an ) be a sequence of real numbers such that an → a and a 6= 0.

Show that the two series
X X  1 
1 
|an+1 − an | ,  an+1 − an 


either both converge or both diverge.

Solution: First note that, since an → a and a 6= 0, there is N such
|a| 3
≤ |an | ≤ |an | , for all n ≥ N .
2 2
Indeed, taking ε = 21 |a|, there is N so that |an − a| < |a|
2 for all n ≥ N . Now the
above inequality follows from |an | ≤ |a| + |an − a| and |a| ≤ |an − a| + |an |. Next
1
note that an+1 − a1n = aann−a
an+1 so that uisng the above inequality
n+1

4 |an − an+1 | 4
2
· |an − an+1 | ≤ ≤ 2 · |an − an+1 |
9a |an | |an+1 | |a |
for n ≥ N . Now the result follows from the comparison test.

P
Problem 5. Show that if the series |an+1 − an | converges, then P
the sequence
(an ) converges. Give an example of a convergent sequence (an ) so that |an+1 − an |
diverges.
Solution: It suffices to show that the sequence (an ) is Cauchy. Note that
|am − an | ≤ |an+1 − an | + |an+2 − an+1 | + . . . + |am − am−1 | .
P
Take ε > 0. Then by the Cauchy criterion applied to the series |an+1 − an |,
there is N such that
Xm
|ak+1 − ak | = |an+1 − an | + . . . + |am − am−1 | + |am+1 − am | < ε
k=n
for all m > n ≥ N . Consequently,
|am − an | < ε for all m, n > N .
Take, for example, the following sequence
(
− n1 n is odd
an = 1
n n is even.
Then (an ) converges to 0 but
(
1 1
n+1 n is odd
+ n
an+1 − an = 1 1
− n+1 n is even.
− n
1 1 1
P1
Then |an+1 − an | = n+1 + n ≥ n and since the series n diverges, also the series
P
so that the series |an+1 − an | diverges.