Module 2: Lecture 10c

» If 𝑎𝑛 ≥ 𝑏𝑛 for all 𝑛 ≥ 𝑁 and diverges, then

infinite series: Tests for Convergence or
diverges.
divergence of a Series (Alternating Series, Ratio
Comments: Typically used for a series similar to a geometric p-
and Root Test)
series. It can sometimes be difficult to find an appropriate
Divergence Test series
Limit Comparison Test
For any series , evaluate lim 𝑎𝑛 .
𝑛→∞
For with positive terms, compare with a series
Conclusions:
» lim 𝑎𝑛 = 0, the test is inconclusive by evaluating
𝑛→∞
» lim 𝑎𝑛 ≠ 0, the series diverges Conclusions:
𝑛→∞

Comments: This test cannot prove convergence of a series.

» If 𝐿 is a real number and 𝐿 ≠ 0, then and both
Geometric Series
converge or both diverge.

» If 𝐿 = 0 and converges, then converges.

Conclusions: » If 𝐿 = ∞ and diverges, then diverges.

𝑎
» If |𝑟| < 1, the series converges to
1−𝑟
Comments: Typically used for a series similar to a geometric or
» If |𝑟| ≥ 1, the series diverges.
p-series. Often easier to apply than the comparison test.
Comments: Any geometric series can be reindexed to be Integral Test
written in the form 𝑎 + 𝑎𝑟 + 𝑎𝑟 + ⋯, where a is the initial
2
If there exists a positive, continuous, decreasing function 𝑓
term and r is the ratio. ∞
such that 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑓(𝑛) for all 𝑛 ≥ 𝑁, evaluate ∫𝑁 𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 .
P-Series
Conclusions:

∞
» ∫𝑁 𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 and both converge or both diverge.

Conclusions: Comments: Limited to those series for which the corresponding

» If 𝑝 > 1, the series converges. function 𝑓 can be easily integrated.
» If 𝑝 ≤ 1, the series diverges. Alternating Series

Comments: For 𝑝 = 1 , we have the harmonic series

Comparison Test
Conclusions:

For with nonnegative terms, compare with a known » If 𝑏𝑛+1 ≤ 𝑏𝑛 for all 𝑛 ≥ 1 and 𝑏𝑛 → 0, then the series
converges.
series
Comments: Only applies to alternating series.
Conclusions: Ratio Test

» If 𝑎𝑛 ≤ 𝑏𝑛 for all 𝑛 ≥ 𝑁 and converges, then

For any series with nonzero terms, let
converges.

Conclusions:
» If 0 ≤ 𝑝 ≤ 1, the series converges absolutely Theorem A: An alternating series of the form

» If 𝑝 > 1 𝑜𝑟 𝑝 = ∞, the series diverges.

» If 𝑝 = 1, the test is inconclusive.

Converges if
Comments: Often used for series involving factorials or i. 0 ≤ 𝑏𝑛+1 ≤ 𝑏𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑛 ≥ 1 and
exponentials. ii. lim 𝑏𝑛 = 0
𝑛→∞
Root Test
This is known as the alternating series test.

For any series , let Example: Convergence of alternating series

Conclusions:

» If 0 ≤ 𝑝 ≤ 1, the series converges absolutely

Solution:
» If 𝑝 > 1 𝑜𝑟 𝑝 = ∞, the series diverges.

» If 𝑝 = 1, the test is inconclusive.

Since

Comments: Often used for series where The series converges.

Alternating Series Test

Definition: Any series whose terms alternate between positive
𝑛
and negative values is called an alternating series. Since ↛ 0 as 𝑛 → ∞, we cannot apply the alternating
(𝑛+1)2

An alternating series can be written in the form test. Instead, we use the nth term test for divergence. Since

(−1)𝑛+1 𝑛
lim ≠ 0 , the series diverges.
𝑛→∞ 𝑛+1

or Absolute and Conditional Convergence

Consider a series and the related series . Here

we discuss the possibilities for the relationship between the
Where 𝑏𝑛 ≥ 0 for all positive integers n.
convergence of these two series. For example, consider the
Converges as long as 𝑏1 ≥ 𝑏2 ≥ 𝑏3 ≥ … and 𝑏𝑛 → 0
alternating harmonic series . The series whose
terms are the absolute value of these terms is the harmonic

series, since . Since the alternating

1 harmonic series converges, but the harmonic series diverges,
Is a geometric series. Since |𝑟| = | − | < 1, the series
2
we say the alternating harmonic series exhibits conditional
converges.
convergence.

By comparison, consider the series . The series

Is called the alternating harmonic series. whose terms are the absolute values of the terms of this

Note: whereas the harmonic series diverges, the alternating

series is the series . Since both of these series converge,
harmonic series converges.
we say the series exhibits absolute convergence.
Definition:
With the series . Since converges, by the
i. A series exhibits absolute convergence if
converges. comparison test, converges, and therefore

ii. A series exhibits conditional convergence if converges absolutely.

converges but diverges. Ratio Test

Consider a series . From our earlier discussion and

As shown by the alternating harmonic series, a series
examples, we know that lim 𝑎𝑛 = 0 is not a sufficient
𝑛→∞

may converge, but may diverge. condition for the series to converge. Not only do we need
𝑎𝑛 → 0 quickly enough. For example, consider the series

Theorem: Absolute Convergence Implies Convergence 1 1

and the series . We know that → 0 and → 0.
𝑛 𝑛2

If converges, then converges. However, only the series converges. The series

Example: Absolute versus Conditional Convergence converges. The series diverges because the terms in the
For each of the following series, determine whether the series 1
sequence { } do not approach zero fast enough as 𝑛 → ∞.
𝑛
converges absolutely, converges conditionally, or diverges.
Here we introduce the ratio test, which provides a way of
measuring how fast the terms of a series approach zero.

Theorem: Ratio Test

Let be a series with nonzero terms. Let

We see that diverges by using
the limit comparison test with the harmonic series. In fact,

Therefore, the series do not converge absolutely. However, i. If 0 ≤ 𝑝 < 1. Then converges absolutely.

since ii. If 𝑝 > 1 or 𝑝 = ∞, then diverges.

iii. If 𝑝 = 1, the test does not provide any information
The series converges. We conclude that
Example: Using the Ratio Test
converges conditionally.
For each of the following series, use the ratio test to
determine whether the series converges or diverges.

Noting that | cos 𝑛| ≤ 1, to determine whether the series

converges absolutely, compare From the ratio test, we can see that

2
Since (𝑛 + 1)! = (𝑛 + 1) ∙ 𝑛!, 𝑝 = lim =0
𝑛→∞ 𝑛+1

Since 𝑝 < 1, the series converges.

 Using L’hopital’s rule, it follow that ln 𝜌 = 0, and therefore
𝜌 = 1 for all 𝜌. However, we know that the p-series only

We can see that converges if 𝜌 > 1 and diverges if 𝜌 < 1.

Theorem

Since 𝑝 > 1, the series diverges.

Since Example: Using the Root Test

For each of the following series, use the root test to

determine whether the series converges or diverges.

We see that To apply the root test, we compute

Since 𝑝 < 1, the series converges.

ROOT Test
Since 𝑝 < 1, the series converges absolutely.
The approach of the root test is similar to that of the ratio

test. Consider a series such that lim 𝑛√|𝑎𝑛| = 𝜌 for

𝑛→∞
some real number 𝜌. Then for 𝑁 sufficiently large, |𝑎𝑁 | ≈ 𝜌𝑁 .

Since 𝑝 = ∞, the series diverges.

Therefore, we can approximate by writing
Activity 5.7
Using the Alternating Series Test, determine whether the

The expression on the right-hand side is a geometric series. As following series is convergent or divergent.

in the ratio test, the series converges absolutely if 0 ≤

𝜌 < 1 and the series diverges if 𝜌 ≥ 1. If 𝑝 = 1, the test does
not provide any information. For example, for any p-series

Activity 5.10
, we see that
Using the Ratio Test, determine whether the following series is
To evaluate this limit, we use the natural logarithm function. absolutely convergent, conditionally convergent or divergent.
Doing so, we see that
Activity 5.12
Using the Root Test, determine whether the following series is
absolutely convergent, conditionally convergent or divergent

Exercises
Determine whether the following series is absolutely
convergent, conditionally convergent or divergent.