11.3 Convergence Test
11.3 Convergence Test
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The Integral Test and Estimates of Sums
We begin by investigating the series whose terms are the
reciprocals of the squares of the positive integers:
Figure 1
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The Integral Test and Estimates of Sums
Thus the partial sums are bounded. We also know that the
partial sums are increasing (because all the terms are
positive). Therefore the sequence of partial sums converge
(by the Monotonic Sequence Theorem) and so the series is
convergent. The sum of the series (the limit of the
sequence of partial sums) is also less than 2:
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The Integral Test and Estimates of Sums
The table of values of sn suggests that the sequence of
partial sums aren’t approaching a finite number, so we
suspect that the given series may be divergent.
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The Integral Test and Estimates of Sums
Again we use a visualisation for confirmation. Figure 2
shows the curve but this time we use rectangles
whose tops lie above the curve.
Figure 2
This total area is greater than the area under the curve
for x ≥ 1, which is equal to the integral
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The Integral Test and Estimates of Sums
The same sort of geometric reasoning that we used for
these two series can be used to prove the following test.
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Test yourself
If ∑𝑎𝑎𝑛𝑛 is a series and 𝑎𝑎𝑛𝑛 = 𝑓𝑓(𝑛𝑛), which three properties
must 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 have before we may use the Integral Test?
Solution:
1. continuous
2. positive
3. decreasing
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Example 1
Test the series for convergence or divergence.
Solution:
The function f(x) = 1/(x2 + 1) is continuous, positive, and
decreasing on [1, ) so we use the Integral Test:
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Example 3
(a) The series
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Example 4
Determine whether the series converges or diverges.
Solution:
The function f(x) = (ln x)/x is positive and continuous for
𝑥𝑥 > 1 because the logarithm function is continuous for 𝑥𝑥 > 0.
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Example 4
Thus f'(x) < 0 when ln x > 1, that is, x > e. It follows that f is
decreasing when x > e and so we can apply the Integral
Test:
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Estimating the Sum of a Series
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Estimating the Sum of a Series
Suppose we have been able to use the Integral Test to
show that a series Σ an is convergent and we now want to
find an approximation to the sum s of the series.
Figure 4 19
Estimating the Sum of a Series
So we have proved the following error estimate.
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Example 5
(a) Approximate the sum of the series Σ 1/n3 by using the
sum of the first 10 terms. Estimate the error involved in
this approximation.
(b) How many terms are required to ensure that the sum is
accurate to within 0.0005?
Solution:
In both parts (a) and (b) we need to know With
f(x) = 1/x3, which satisfies the conditions of the Integral
Test, we have
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Example 5 – Solution cont’d
we want
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