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10.6 The Comparison, Ratio, and Root Tests

This document discusses four tests for determining if an infinite series converges or diverges: the comparison test, the limit comparison test, the ratio test, and the root test. Each test provides criteria involving limits to determine if a series converges absolutely (converges), diverges, or may converge conditionally. Examples are given to demonstrate applying each test. The comparison test compares terms of a series to a related series. The limit comparison, ratio, and root tests involve calculating limits of ratios or roots of successive terms.

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Sumit Ray
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46 views2 pages

10.6 The Comparison, Ratio, and Root Tests

This document discusses four tests for determining if an infinite series converges or diverges: the comparison test, the limit comparison test, the ratio test, and the root test. Each test provides criteria involving limits to determine if a series converges absolutely (converges), diverges, or may converge conditionally. Examples are given to demonstrate applying each test. The comparison test compares terms of a series to a related series. The limit comparison, ratio, and root tests involve calculating limits of ratios or roots of successive terms.

Uploaded by

Sumit Ray
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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10.

6 The Comparison, Ratio, and Root Tests


THEOREM (The Comparison Test): Let

k=1
a
k
and

k=1
b
k
be series with nonnegative terms and
suppose that a
1
b
1
, a
2
b
2
, a
3
b
3
, . . . , a
k
b
k
, . . .
(a) If the bigger series

k=1
b
k
converges, then the smaller series

k=1
a
k
also converges.
(b) If the smaller series

k=1
a
k
diverges, then the bigger series

k=1
b
k
also diverges.
EXAMPLE: Use the comparison test to determine whether the following series converge or diverge:
(a)

k=2
1
3

k 1
(b)

k=1
1
k
2
+ k + 1
(c)

k=2
1
k
2
1
SOLUTION:
(a) Since
1
3

k 1
>
1
3

k
and

k=2
1
3

k
diverges, it follows that

k=2
1
3

k 1
also diverges.
(b) Since
1
k
2
+ k + 1
<
1
k
2
and

k=1
1
k
2
converges, it follows that

k=1
1
k
2
+ k + 1
also converges.
(c) Since
1
k
2
1
<
2
k
2
and

k=2
2
k
2
= 2

k=2
1
k
2
converges, it follows that

k=2
1
k
2
1
also converges.
THEOREM (The Limit Comparison Test): Let

a
k
and

b
k
be series with positive terms and
suppose that
= lim
k+
a
k
b
k
.
If is nite and > 0, then the series both converge or both diverge.
EXAMPLE: Use the limit comparison test to determine whether the following series converge or
diverge:
(a)

k=1
1

k + 1
(b)

k=2
1
2k
2
k 1
(c)

k=1
4k
2
k + 5
k
5
+ k
4
+ 2k 2
SOLUTION:
(a) Put a
n
=
1

k + 1
, b
n
=
1

k
. Then = lim
k+
a
k
b
k
= lim
k+

k + 1
= lim
k+
1
1 +
1

k
= 1. Since
= 1 and

k=1
1

k
diverges, it follows that

k=1
1

k + 1
also diverges.
(b) Put a
n
=
1
2k
2
k 1
, b
n
=
1
2k
2
. Then = lim
k+
a
k
b
k
= lim
k+
2k
2
2k
2
k 1
= lim
k+
1
1
1
2k

1
2k
2
=
1. Since = 1 and

k=2
1
2k
2
=
1
2

k=2
1
k
2
converges, it follows that

k=2
1
2k
2
k 1
also converges.
(c) Put a
n
=
4k
2
k + 5
k
5
+ k
4
+ 2k 2
, b
n
=
4
k
3
. Then = lim
k+
a
k
b
k
= lim
k+
k
3
(4k
2
k + 5)
4(k
5
+ k
4
+ 2k 2)
=
lim
k+
4k
5
k
4
+ 5k
3
4k
5
+ 4k
4
+ 8k 8
= lim
k+
1
1
4k
+
5
4k
2
1 +
1
k
+
2
k
4

2
k
5
= 1. Since = 1 and

k=1
4
k
3
= 4

k=1
1
k
3
converges,
it follows that

k=1
4k
2
k + 5
k
5
+ k
4
+ 2k 2
also converges.
THEOREM (The Ratio Test): Let

u
k
be a series with positive terms and suppose that
= lim
k+
u
k+1
u
k
.
(a) If < 1, the series converges.
(b) If > 1 or = +, the series diverges.
(c) If = 1, the series may converge or diverge, so that another test must be tried.
EXAMPLE: Use the ratio test to determine whether the following series converge or diverge:
(a)

k=1
k + 1
k!
(b)

k=1
k
3
k+1
(c)

k=1
(2k)
k+2
(k + 1)!
(d)

k=1
(2k)!
3
k
(e)

k=1
1
3k + 4
SOLUTION:
(a) We have = lim
k+
u
k+1
u
k
= lim
k+
k + 2
(k + 1)!

k!
k + 1
= lim
k+
k + 2
(k + 1)(k + 1)
= 0 < 1, therefore
the series converges.
(b) We have = lim
k+
u
k+1
u
k
= lim
k+
k + 1
3
k+2

3
k+1
k
= lim
k+
k + 1
3k
=
1
3
< 1, therefore the series
converges.
(c) We have = lim
k+
u
k+1
u
k
= lim
k+
(2k + 2)
k+3
(k + 2)!

(k + 1)!
(2k)
k+2
= lim
k+
(2k + 2)
k+2
(2k + 2)
(k + 2)!

(k + 1)!
(2k)
k+2
=
lim
k+
(2k + 2)
k+2
(2k + 2)(k + 1)!
(2k)
k+2
(k + 2)!
= lim
k+

1 +
1
k

k+2
2k + 2
k + 2
= 2e > 1, therefore the series di-
verges.
(d) We have = lim
k+
u
k+1
u
k
= lim
k+
(2k + 2)!
3
k+1

3
k
(2k)!
= lim
k+
(2k + 1)(2k + 2)
3
= +, therefore
the series diverges.
(e) We have = lim
k+
u
k+1
u
k
= lim
k+
3k + 4
3k + 7
= 1, therefore the series may converge or diverge, so
that another test must be tried. For example, by the integral test,
+

1
dx
3x + 4
= lim
+

1
dx
3x + 4
=
lim
+
1
3
ln(3x + 4)

1
= +, therefore the series diverges.
THEOREM (The Root Test): Let

u
k
be a series with positive terms and suppose that
= lim
k+
k

u
k
(a) If < 1, the series converges.
(b) If > 1 or = +, the series diverges.
(c) If = 1, the series may converge or diverge, so that another test must be tried.
EXAMPLE: Use the root test to determine whether the following series converge or diverge:
(a)

k=2

4k 5
2k + 1

k
(b)

k=1
1
(ln(k + 1))
k
SOLUTION:
(a) We have = lim
k+
k

u
k
= lim
k+
4k 5
2k + 1
= 2 > 1, therefore the series diverges.
(b) We have = lim
k+
k

u
k
= lim
k+
1
ln(k + 1)
= 0 < 1, therefore the series converges.

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