SP351 HW8

Nikhil Vasan
November 2021

1. Find the interval of convergence for the following series

a.
1 xn
Σ∞
n=1 (1)
n5
We apply the ratio test.

an+1 1 x n+1 n x −n
ρn = = (2)
an n+15 15
n x
= (3)
n+15
x n
limn→∞ |ρn | = | |limn→∞ <1 (4)
5 n+1
x
| |<1 (5)
5
|x| < 5 (6)

We now test the endpoints of the interval, at x = 5 the series becomes

1 n
Σ∞
n=1 1 (7)
n
which does not converge. At x = −5 the series becomes

1
Σ∞
n=1 (−1)
n
(8)
n
which does converge, therfore the interval of convergence is

−5≤x<5 (9)

1
.
(2) follows from the definition of the ratio test, (4) follows as we are able to
isolate the terms that depend on n, and we notice that the highest-degree terms in
n
n+1
cancel each other, and the limit approaches 1 as n → ∞.
b.
(−2)n (2x + 1)n
Σ∞ n=1 (10)
n2
As in the previous problem we apply the ratio test.
(−2)n+1 (2x + 1)n+1 n2 n2
ρn = = − 2(2x + 1) (11)
(n + 1)2 (−2)n (2x + 1)n (n + 1)2
n2
limn→∞ |ρn | = 2(2x + 1)limn→∞ = |2(2x + 1)| < 1 (12)
(n + 1)2
− 1 < 4x + 2 < 1 (13)
3 1
− <x<− (14)
4 4
We now test the endpoints of the interval for convergence at x = − 41 in which
case the series becomes
(−1)n
Σ∞n=1 (15)
n2
which does converge. Now we test for x = − 43 which becomes
(1)n
Σ∞
n=1 (16)
n2
which also converges, therefore our interval of convergence becomes
3 1
− ≤x≤− (17)
4 4

2. Find the power series for the following series.

a. f (x) = cos x,
We take the maclaurin series, that is we evaluate the function at f (x) = 0
d
f ′ (x) = cos(x) = − sin(x) (18)
dx
d ′
f ′′ (x) = f (x) = − cos(x) (19)
dx
f ′′′ (x) = sin(x) (20)
f 4 (x) = cos(x) (21)

2
Evaluating these derivates at x = 0 we notice that the odd derivatives vanish as
sin(0) = 0, furthermore, we notice that even derivatives are (−1)n , that is, they
are alternate between positive and negative 1. With this information, we are able
to evaluate f (x) at x = 0.
x2n n
f (0) = cos(0) = Σn≥0 (−1) (22)
(2n)!
For f (x) = cos 2πx, we are able to substitute 2πx in (5) to obtain
(2π)2n x2n
f (x) = Σn≥0 (−1)n (23)
(2n)!
b. f (x) = (1 − x)n
   
n n
f (x) = Σnk≥0 (−x) 1k n−k n
= Σk≥0 (−x)k (24)
k k
3. Consider the electric potential due to a positive charge given by
kq
V = (25)
R
, where R is the distance from the charge to the point. Suppose a negative charge
−qis placed on the z axis at z = − d2 and a positive charge q is placed at z =
d
2
.Show that the electric potential given by the terms is
k⃗p· = ⃗r
V+ + V− (26)
r2

We use expansion by power series of the potentials

kq kq
V+ = = q (27)
|⃗r − d2 k̂| 2
r2 + d4 + dr cos θ
kq
= q (28)
d d
r 1+ 2r
+ cos θ
r

(28) comes as we factor out the magnitude of |⃗r| = r, and recognize that r̂ = ⃗rr .
d2
Let us replace 2r + dr cos θ with ρ. We obtain
1 1 1 (−1/2)! 1 1
V+ = kq (1 + ρ)− 2 = Σ∞ n=0 ρn = (1 − ρ) (29)
r r n!(−1/2 − n)! r 2
2
1 1 d d
= kq (1 − ( + cos θ)) (30)
r 2 2r r

3
Similarly for V− we obtain
kq kq
V− = −kq q = q (31)
d2 d d
r2 + 4
− dr cos θ r 1+ 2r
− cos θ
r

(32)
d2
We replace 2r
− dr cos θ with ρ

1 (−1/2)! 1 1
V− = −kq Σ∞n=0 ρn = (1 − ρ) (33)
r n!(−1/2 − n)! r 2
2
1 1 d d
= −kq (1 − ( − cos θ)) (34)
r 2 2r r
Finally we make our subsitutions

1 1 d2 d 1 1 d2 d
V+ + V− = kq( (1 − ( + cos θ))) − kq (1 − ( − cos θ)) (35)
r 2 2r r r 2 2r r
kq 1 d2 d d2 d
= (1 + ( + cos θ) − + cos θ) (36)
r 2 2r r 2r r
kq d
= cos θ (37)
r r
kqd kqdk̂ · r̂
= 2 cos θ = (38)
r r2
We obtain (38) as
d⃗r · k̂ = dr cos θ (39)
We divide by |⃗r| to obtain
⃗r
d cos θ = dk̂ · r̂ (40)
|⃗r|

4a. Show that

sin(x) = x (41)
with less than an error of 0.021 for 0 < x < 12 , and 0.0002 for 0 < x < 0.1.
We apply theorem 14.3

|S − (a1 + · · · + an )| ≤ |an=1 | (42)

x3
| sin x − x| ≤ | | (43)
3!

4
Plugging in for 0 < x < 12 , we obtain

(0.5)3
| sin x − x| ≤ | | (44)
3!
| sin x − x| ≤ 0.0002 (45)

Similarly for 0 < x < 0.1

(0.1)3
| sin x − x| ≤ | | (46)
3!
| sin x − x| ≤ (47)

sin(x)
1
f (x)

−1

−6 −4 −2 0 2 4 6
4b. x 5a. Find the disk of con-
vergence for the following series.

Σ∞ 2
n≥0 n (3iz)
n
(48)

We apply the ratio test

1
limn→∞ ρn = limn→∞ (n + 1)2 (3iz)n+1 = (3iz)limn→∞ (n + 1)2 n−2
n2 (3iz n )
(49)
We are able to factor (3iz) out of the limit as it is simply a constant and has no
effect on the limit, furthermore, we evaluate as such, limn→∞ (n + 1)2 n−2 = 1, as

5
the highest degree terms dominate as n approaches ∞. We obtain

limn→∞ |ρn | < 1 (50)

||(3iz)|| < 1 (51)
− 1 < 3|zi| < 1 (52)
1 1
− < |z| < (53)
3 3
(54)

For
zn
Σ∞
n≥1 √ (55)
n
Again, we apply the ratio test
√ √
z n+1 n n+1
limn→∞ ρn = limn→∞ √ = zlimn→∞ √ (56)
n + 1 zn n
As before, the limit evaluates to 1 as the higher order terms in the equation ap-
proach ∞, we obtain

limn→∞ |ρn | < 1 (57)

||z|| < 1 (58)
(59)

Finally for,
Σ∞
n=1 n(n + 1)(z − 2i)
n
(60)
Applying the ratio test

(n + 1)(n + 2)(z − 2i)n+1 (n + 1)(n + 2)

limn→∞ ρn = limn→∞ n
= (z−2i)limn→∞
n(n + 1)(z − 2i) n(n + 1)
(61)

limn→∞ |ρn | < 1 (62)

|z − 2i| < 1 (63)

b. Use power series in an argument that

d z
e = ez (64)
dz
6
We expand ex as such

d z d x2 xn d xn xn−1 xn−1
e = (1+x+ +· · ·+ ) = (Σ∞ ) = Σ∞
n = Σ∞
dz dz 2! n! dz n≥1 n! n≥1
n! n≥1
(n − 1)!
(65)
substituting n for n + 1 we obtain
xn
Σ∞
n≥1 (66)
n!