Math 4023 Tutorial Notes 12

18. Infinite Products

Definition. Let {ak } be a sequence of nonzero complex numbers.

∞
Q Qn
Define ak := lim ak .
k=1 n→∞ k=1
∞
Q n
Q ∞
Q
ak is said to be converges ⇐⇒ lim ak = L 6= 0. Otherwise, we say that ak diverges.
k=1 n→∞ k=1 k=1
Qn ∞
Q
ak is also called partial products of ak .
k=1 k=1
∞
Q
Moreover, for a sequence {bl } with finitely many of bl = 0, bl is said to be converges to 0 ⇐⇒
k=1
∞
Q
bl converges.
k=1,bl 6=0

Example 1. Find
∞  ∞  ∞  ∞ 
(−1)n
   
Y 2n + 1 Y 2 Y 2n + 1 Y
(a) 1− , (b) 1− , (c) 1+ 2 , (d) 1+ .
n=2
n(n + 2) n=3
n(n − 1) n=2
n −1 n=2
n

Solution.
2n + 1 n2 + 2n − 2n − 1 (n + 1)(n − 1) n−1 n+1
(a) Observe that for n ≥ 2, 1 − = = = · . So,
n(n + 2) n(n + 2) n(n + 2) n n+2
for N ≥ 2,
N 

2n + 1Y 1 3
1− = · → 0 as N → ∞.
n=2
n(n + 2) N N +2
∞
 
Q 2n + 1
Therefore, 1− diverges to 0.
n=2 n(n + 2)
2 n2 − n − 2 (n + 1)(n − 2) n+1 n−2
(b) Observe that for n ≥ 3, 1 − = = = · . So, for
n(n − 1) n(n − 1) n(n − 1) n n−1
N ≥ 3,
N  
Y 2 N +1 1 1
1− = · → as N → ∞.
n=3
n(n − 1) 3 N −1 3
∞
 
Q 2 1
Therefore, 1− converges to .
n=3 n(n − 1) 3
2
2n + 1 n + 2n n(n + 2) n n+2
(c) Observe that for n ≥ 2, 1 + 2 = 2 = = · . So, for N ≥ 2,
n −1 n −1 (n − 1)(n + 1) n−1 n+1
N  
Y 2n + 1 N N +2
1+ 2 = · → ∞ as N → ∞.
n=2
n − 1 1 3

∞
 
Q 2n + 1
Therefore, 1+ 2 diverges to ∞.
n=2 n −1

1
 (−1)2k (−1)2k+1
  
2k + 1 2k
(d) Observe that for k ≥ 1, 1 + 1+ = · = 1. So, for N ≥ 2,
2k 2k + 1 2k 2k + 1

N  n
 1 if N is odd
Y (−1)
1+ = (−1) N → 1 as N → ∞.
n=2
n  1 + if N is even
N
∞ (−1)n
 
Q
Therefore, 1+ converges to 1.
n=2 n

Lemma. (Term Test) Let {an } be a sequence of complex numbers.

∞
Q
If ak converges, then lim ak = 1.
k=1 k→∞

Theorem. Let {an } be nonnegative sequence of complex numbers.

Q∞ ∞
P
(1 + an ) converges ⇐⇒ an converges.
n=1 n=1

∞
 
1Q
Example 2. By the previous theorem, 1 + p converges for p > 1 and diverges for p ≤ 1.
n=1 n
Theorem. Let {an } be a sequence of complex numbers.
Q∞ ∞
P
an converges ⇐⇒ lim ak = 1 and ∃ m > 0 such that Log an converges.
n=1 k→∞ n=m+1
∞ ∞ m
an · eL .
P Q Q
Moreover, if L = Log an , then an =
n=m+1 n=1 n=1

∞
 
Q 1 −1
Example 3. Prove that (1 +
)e n converges.
n=1 n
1 1
Solution. Observe that lim (1 + )e− n = (1 + 0)e−0 = 1.
n→∞ n
1 1
  Log(1 + ) −
1 −1 1
Consider Log (1 + )e n = Log(1 + ) − and lim
1 n n = −1 , then for large N ,
n n n n→∞ 1 2
n 2
 
Log(1 + 1 ) − 1  ≤ 1 ∀ n > N .
 
 n n  2n2
∞
  ∞
 
P 1 −1 Q 1 −1
So, by comparison test, Log (1 + )e n converges. By the previous theorem, (1 + )e n
n=1 n n=1 n
converges.

Definition. An elementary factor is one of the following entire functions

z2 zp
E0 (z) = 1 − z and Ep (z) = (1 − z)ez+ 2 +···+ p for p = 1, 2, 3, . . . .

1
Lemma. If |z| ≤ , then |Log Ep (z)| ≤ 2|z|p+1 ∀ p = 0, 1, 2, 3, . . . .
∞
2 ∞
P Q
Corollary. If |1 − ak | converges, then ak converges.
k=1 k=1

2
Theorem. Let {zk } be a sequence of nonzero complex numbers such that lim zk = ∞.
k→∞ mk
∞

P R
If {mk } is a sequence of nonnegative integers such that for any fixed R > 0, converges,
k=1 |zk |
then the product
∞   Y ∞   z + z2 +···+ zmk −1
Y z z z 2z 2 m −1
(mk −1)z k
Emk −1 = 1− ek k k

k=1
zk k=1
zk
converges to an entire function with roots zk .

Theorem. (Weierstrass Factorization Theorem.) Let f an entire function with roots 0 of order m ≥ 0,
z1 , z2 , . . . , where lim zn = ∞.
n→∞ mk
∞

P R
If {mk } is a sequence of nonnegative integers such that for any fixed R > 0, converges,
k=1 |zk |
then ∃ an entire function g so that
∞   z z2 z mk −1
z + +···+ m −1
zk 2z 2
Y
g(z) m (mk −1)z k
f (z) ≡ e z 1− e k k .
k=1
zk