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MAT 127 SBU Midterm 1 Study Guide

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26 views2 pages

MAT 127 SBU Midterm 1 Study Guide

Uploaded by

thunma2010
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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MAT 127

COVERAGE OF MIDTERM I

The midterm will consist of 5 problems, each one worth 20 points each. It will include
problems on topics on sequences, infinite series and power series. Taylor series will not be
covered on the first midterm.
Below is a more detailed list of learning goals for each section. Keep in mind that because the
midterm only consists of 5 problems, it is impossible to test each and every one of the learning
goals listed below. All section references are to Stewart.

1. Learning goals
Sequences: (All of §8.1.)
Learning goals:
• Understand the notion of a sequence and work with different ways of describing
sequences (formulas for the general term, recursive formulas, relation to functions,
plots of sequences), compute several terms of a sequence given as above.
• Understand intuitively the notions of convergence and limit of a sequence.
• Identify and correctly use terminology describing properties of sequences (increasing,
decreasing, monotonic, bounded above, bounded below).
Infinite series: (All of §8.2, §8.3: Integral test, p-series and comparison test only, §8.4:
Alternating series test and ratio test only.)
Learning goals:
• Understand the notion of series; distinguish between sequences and series.
• Know the definition of an infinite series as the limit of the partial sum sequence.
• Recognize the geometric series and know how to identify whether it converges or
diverges; in case of convergence being able to compute the sum.
• Recognize the harmonic series and know that it diverges.
• Recognize and being able to carry out simple examples of telescoping series.
• Know the statement of the divergence test, ratio test, integral test, comparison test
and the alternating series test and how to use them.
• Recognize a p-series and knowing for which values it converges/diverges.
Power series: (All of §8.5 and §8.6.)
Learning goals:
• Identify a power series.
• Being able to find the radius and interval of convergence using the ratio test, in-
cluding endpoints of the convergence interval.
• Differentiate and integrate power series to find new power series from old ones. Find
radius and interval of convergence of the resulting series.

2. What convergence test to use?


Being able to know which convergence test to use is an important skill to succeed on the first
midterm. This skill is best learned by practicing; do a lot of problems. Eventually you begin to
get a sense of what convergence test is likely to work in a specific situation. (This is similar to
the question “How do I know which technique to use when integrating a function?” that you
likely have asked and answered in the past.) Below is one possible flow chart that is usually
similar to how I personally deal with this problem when faced with a new numerical series:
• Try the divergence test: Do the terms go to zero as n → ∞? If not, it diverges by the
divergence test.

1
2 COVERAGE OF MIDTERM I

P
• Is it a p-series, i.e. of the form ∞ 1
n=1 np ? If so, it converges for p > 1, and diverges
otherwise. P
• Is it a geometric series, i.e. of the form ∞ n=0 ar ? If so, it converges for |r| < 1. The
n
a
sum is 1−r , assuming that the index starts at 0.
• Is the series alternating? Try the alternating series test.
• Try the ratio test. Compute ρ = limn→∞ an+1 an . If ρ > 1, it diverges, if ρ < 1 converges
and if ρ = 1 the ratio test is inconclusive. P
• Does the series “look like” another series that you know? For example nn=1 n21+1 “looks
Pn
like” n=1 n12 which we recognize as a p-series with p = 2. Using the comparison test is
likely a good idea. Remember that the terms need to be positive in order for this to be
applicable.
• Is the n-th term an described by a function f that looks like something you can integrate?
Try to use the integral test.
P
• Last resort: Compute the partial sums SN = N n=1 an and take the limitas N → ∞.
P
This will be easy in the case of a telescoping series such as ∞ n=1 n − n+1 .
1 1

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