Mathematics Stack Exchange
Mathematics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [convergence-divergence]

Convergence and divergence of sequences and series and different modes of convergence and divergence. Also for convergence of improper integrals.

This tag is for questions about Convergent Sequences and Series and their existence, and by extension also for divergent ones. Also for convergence/divergence of improper integrals.

Formally, a sequence $S_n$ converges to the limit $S.$

$$\lim_{n\to \infty}S_n=S $$ if, for any $\epsilon>0$, there exists an $N>0$ such that $|S_n-S|<\epsilon$ for $n>N$.

A sequence diverges if it does not converge.

For more specialized questions about divergent series, such as summation methods, consider the tag .

22479 questions
912
votes
24 answers

The staircase paradox, or why $\pi\ne4$

What is wrong with this proof? Is $\pi=4?$
Pratik Deoghare
  • 13,859
456
votes
24 answers

How can I evaluate $\sum_{n=0}^\infty(n+1)x^n$?

How can I evaluate $$\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac{2n}{3^{n+1}}$$? I know the answer thanks to Wolfram Alpha, but I'm more concerned with how I can derive that answer. It cites tests to prove that it is convergent, but my class has never learned these…
backus
  • 4,793
350
votes
0 answers

Limit of sequence of growing matrices

Let $$ H=\left(\begin{array}{cccc} 0 & 1/2 & 0 & 1/2 \\ 1/2 & 0 & 1/2 & 0 \\ 1/2 & 0 & 0 & 1/2\\ 0 & 1/2 & 1/2 & 0 \end{array}\right), $$ $K_1=\left(\begin{array}{c}1 \\ 0\end{array}\right)$ and consider the sequence of matrices defined by $$ K_L =…
Eckhard
  • 7,735
197
votes
13 answers

Convergence of the series $\sum\limits_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac1{n^p}$ for $p > 1$

I am trying to prove the convergence of the $p$-series $$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac1{n^p}.$$ for $p > 1$. I am wondering if there is a proof that this series converges, either directly or by applying some test for convergence.
admchrch
  • 2,932
161
votes
4 answers

Sum of random decreasing numbers between 0 and 1: does it converge??

Let's define a sequence of numbers between 0 and 1. The first term, $r_1$ will be chosen uniformly randomly from $(0, 1)$, but now we iterate this process choosing $r_2$ from $(0, r_1)$, and so on, so $r_3\in(0, r_2)$, $r_4\in(0, r_3)$... The set of…
Carlos Toscano-Ochoa
  • 2,643
119
votes
1 answer

Convergence of $\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{\sin(n!)}{n}$

Is there a way to assess the convergence of the following series? $$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{\sin(n!)}{n}$$ From numerical estimations it seems to be convergent but I don't know how to prove it.
Leonardo Massai
  • 1,943
111
votes
2 answers

If $f_k \to f$ a.e. and the $L^p$ norms converge, then $f_k \to f$ in $L^p$

Let $1\leq p < \infty$. Suppose that $\{f_k, f\} \subset L^p$ (the domain here does not necessarily have to be finite), $f_k \to f$ almost everywhere, and $\|f_k\|_{L^p} \to \|f\|_{L^p}$. Why is it the case that $$\|f_k - f\|_{L^p} \to 0?$$ A…
user1736
  • 8,993
97
votes
2 answers

When does a sequence of rotated-and-circumscribed rectangles converge to a square?

Recently I came up with an algebra problem with a nice geometric representation. Basically, I would like to know what happens if we repeatedly circumscribe a rectangle by another rectangle which is rotated by $\alpha \in \left( 0, \frac {\pi}…
samgiz
  • 774
95
votes
4 answers

Every subsequence of $x_n$ has a further subsequence which converges to $x$. Then the sequence $x_n$ converges to $x$.

Is the following true? Let $x_n$ be a sequence with the following property: Every subsequence of $x_n$ has a further subsequence which converges to $x$. Then the sequence $x_n$ converges to $x$. I guess that it is true but I am not sure how to prove…
gulim
  • 993
73
votes
3 answers

What is the limit of $n \sin (2 \pi \cdot e \cdot n!)$ as $n$ goes to infinity?

I tried and got this $$e=\sum_{k=0}^\infty\frac{1}{k!}=\lim_{n\to\infty}\sum_{k=0}^n\frac{1}{k!}$$ $$n!\sum_{k=0}^n\frac{1}{k!}=\frac{n!}{0!}+\frac{n!}{1!}+\cdots+\frac{n!}{n!}=m$$ where $m$ is an integer. $$\lim_{n\to\infty}n\sin(2\pi…
M. Amin
  • 739
68
votes
13 answers

Sum of the alternating harmonic series $\sum_{k=1}^{\infty}\frac{(-1)^{k+1}}{k} = \frac{1}{1} - \frac{1}{2} + \cdots $

I know that the harmonic series $$\sum_{k=1}^{\infty}\frac{1}{k} = \frac{1}{1} + \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{3} + \frac{1}{4} + \frac{1}{5} + \frac{1}{6} + \cdots + \frac{1}{n} + \cdots \tag{I}$$ diverges, but what about the alternating harmonic series…
Isaac
  • 37,057
68
votes
4 answers

Does the series $ \sum\limits_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{1 + |\sin(n)|}} $ converge or diverge?

Does the following series converge or diverge? I would like to see a demonstration. $$ \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{1 + |\sin(n)|}}. $$ I can see that: $$ \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{1 + |\sin(n)|}} \leqslant \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{1…
user55114
66
votes
3 answers

Is $ \sum\limits_{n=1}^\infty \frac{|\sin n|^n}n$ convergent？

Is the series $$ \sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{|\sin n|^n}n\tag{1}$$ convergent？ If one want to use Abel's test, is $$ \sum_{n=1}^\infty |\sin n|^n\tag{2}$$ convergent？ Thank you very much
2016
  • 1,073
62
votes
3 answers

What is the formula for pi used in the Python decimal library?

(Don't be alarmed by the title; this is a question about mathematics, not programming.) In the documentation for the decimal module in the Python Standard Library, an example is given for computing the digits of $\pi$ to a given precision: def…
ShreevatsaR
  • 42,279
60
votes
1 answer

Monotone Convergence Theorem for non-negative decreasing sequence of measurable functions

Let $(X,\mathcal{M},\mu)$ be a measure space and suppose $\{f_n\}$ are non-negative measurable functions decreasing pointwise to $f$. Suppose also that $\int f_1 \lt \infty$. Then $$\int_X f~d\mu = \lim_{n\to\infty}\int_X f_n~d\mu.$$ Atempt:…
Kuku
  • 1,875
1
2 3
…
99 100