Module 9 : Infinite Series, Tests of Convergence, Absolute and Conditional Convergence, Taylor

and Maclaurin Series

Lecture 26 : Absolute convergence [Section 26.1]
Objectives
In this section you will learn the following :
More tests that help in analyzing convergence of series of numbers.

26.1

More tests of convergence:

We describe next a generalization of the comparison test. For that, we need the following result which
allows one to compare terms of two sequences.
26.1.1Lemma ( Limit Comparison):

26.1.1Lemma:

Proof:
If

, we can find

such that

The required claim follows with

This proves (i).

, given

In case

, there exists

such that

.
Thus,

26.1.2Examples:

(i) Consider the series

, where

for every

. Then

is divergent (example 25.1.4 (iv)), the series

Since the series

.
(ii)

Consider the series

Apparently, the

th

term of the series behaves like

and

Then

Thus

. Let us consider

is also divergent for

Since the series

(iii)

is also divergent.

Consider the series

The

- term of the series will behave like

. In fact, if we take

, then

Hence
.

is convergent, the given series

Since, the series

is also convergent.

In comparison test, or the limit comparison test, one needs to guess the convergent / divergence and
then select an appropriate series to compare. Some convergence test which are more intrinsic are given
next.
26.1.3Theorem (The ratio Test):
be a series of positive terms such that

Let

Then the following hold:

(i)

If

, then the series is convergent.

(ii)

If

or

(iii)

If

, the series may converge or diverge.

, then the series is divergent.

26.1.3Theorem (The ratio Test):

be a series of positive terms such that

Let

.
Then the following hold:
(i)

If

, then the series is convergent.

(ii)

If

or

(iii) If
(i)

Proof
For

, then the series is divergent.

,the series may converge or diverge.

, select

such that

, and choose

such that

.
Then
.
Thus
.
Hence, for
Since
test,

is a convergent geometric series, as

is convergent.

26.1.4 Theorem (Root test):

Let

be a series of positive terms and suppose that

Then the following hold:

(i)

If

, then the series is convergent.

(ii)

If

or,

(iii)

If

, the series may converge or diverge.

the series is divergent.

26.1.4 Theorem (Root test):

Let

be a series of positive terms and suppose that

,

Then the following hold:

,by comparison

(i)

If

, then the series is convergent.

(ii)

If

or,

(iii) If

,the series is divergent.

, the series may converge or diverge.

Proof:
By definition, for

In case

given, we can choose

, we start with

such that

such that

. Then

i.e.,

.
, the series

Since,

also convergent. In case,

is a convergent series. Thus by comparison test,

, we can start with

such that

. Then

26.1.5Examples:
(i)

Consider the series

Since

the series

is convergent by ratio test. Also

the series
(ii)

is divergent by ration test.

Consider the series

.

For this series, the convergence/ divergence is difficult to analyze using, ratio test. However,

is

Thus, the series is divergent by the root test.

We close this section by another test.

26.1.6Theorem (Integral Test):

Let

be a positive continuous decreasing function with

Then either both

converge or diverge.

26.1.6Theorem (Integral Test):

Let

be a positive continuous decreasing function with

Then either both

converge or diverge.
Proof

For

, consider the interval

.
Then, since
is decreasing,

with the partition

Module 9

: Infinite
Thus, if

then
---------(*)
In case

Since

is convergent, we have for

is positive,

is monotonically increasing and hence it is convergent. Conversely, if

exists, then by the Sandwich theorem, (*) implies that

is

convergent.

26.1.7
(i)

Examples:
p-Series:
Consider the series

Obviously, the series is divergent for

, as

for even

. If we consider the function

then

is a continuous, positive, decreasing, function. Further, see example . . . ,

is convergent for

and divergent for

Thus,
is divergent for

(ii)

Consider the series

.
To analyze the convergence/ divergence of this series, we can proceed as follows: Since
,

and the series

is divergent (p=1 for the p-series), by comparison test,

divergent. We could directly apply the integral test with

we can conclude that the series

is divergent.

. As

is also

26.1.8Note (Basic strategy for testing

(i)

As a general rule, check

convergence):

. If

, the series is divergent.

If

try convergent tests as suggested next.

If

is a decreasing sequence of positive terms, such that

for some function

(ii)

try Integral test.

(iii)

If

is a rational function, or is some root of

, try limit comparison test.

(iv)

Some of the standard series for comparison test are: Geometric series, p-series.

(v)

Ratio test is useful if

(vi)

Root test is useful, if it is series to find

has factorial/ powers of

root of

Practice Exercises
1.

Using limit comparison test, determine the convergence/ divergence of the following series:
.

(i)

(ii)

(Hint

(iii)

glows more slowly than

for every

Answers
2.

Analyze the convergence of the following series using the ratio test:

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

Answers
3.
(i)

Analyze the convergence of the following using the root test:

.

(ii)

(iii)

Answers
4.

Prove the following:

(i)

For the p-series, both the ratio test and the root test tail, however the series is convergent.

(ii)

For the series, for

for

,
both the ratio test and the root test tail, but the series is divergent (by comparison test).
5.

Canchy's Condensation Test

Let

be a decreasing sequence of positive terms. Let

Prove the following:

(i)

For every

(ii)

Deduce that the series

6.

Using exercise (5), deduce that the series

are convergent for

is convergent if and if the series

and divergent for

is convergent.

Recap

In this section you have learnt the following

More tests that help in analyzing convergence of series of numbers.

Series, Tests of Convergence, Absolute and Conditional Convergence, Taylor and Maclaurin
Series
Lecture 26 : Conditional convergence [Section 26.2]
Objectives

In this section you will learn the following :

Absolute convergence of series.

Conditional Convergence of series.

26.2

Absolute and Conditional Convergence

In the previous section we saw that most of the convergence tests were applicable for series with
positive terms. When, this is not the case, series can behave differently. In example 25.1.4(V) we saw
that the alternating harmonic series

is convergent, while the harmonic series

is not convergent. To analyze such occurrences in detail , we make the following definition.

26.2.1Definition:
Let

be a series of real members.

(i) We say

is absolutely convergent if the series

(ii) We say the series

is absolutely divergent if

(iii) We say the series

is conditionally convergent if

convergent.
(iv) We say the series

or

is an alternating series if either

is convergent.
is divergent.
is convergent, but

is not

26.2.2Note (Tests for absolute convergence):

The tests of section 26.2.1 namely, the comparison test, limit comparison test, ratio test, and root test,
all are tests for absolute convergence.
26.2.3 Examples:

(i) The alternating harmonic series

is conditionally convergent.

(ii) The series

is absolutely convergent, since

and

is convergent.

(iii) Consider the series

.
Let
.
Then

Then by ratio test, the series

is absolutely convergent.

The relation between convergence and absolute convergence of a series is described in the next theorem.
26.2.4 Theorem:
If a series

is absolutely convergent, then it is also convergent.

26.2.4 Theorem:
If a series
Proof
Let

Then

is absolutely convergent, then it is also convergent.

Thus,

Since

is convergent, by comparison test,

is also convergent. Hence, by theorem

is not a geometric series. However,

is a geometric series with common-

25.2.4, since

26.2.5 Examples:
Let

Note that,
ratio

. Hence,

is absolutely convergent, and thus is itself convergent.

Finally, we give a test which helps us to analyze convergence of an alternating series.

26.2.6Theorem (Alternating series test):

Let

be an alternating series such that

(i)
(ii)

Then

is convergent.

26.2.7Examples:
(i)

Consider the alternating harmonic series

Clearly, for

the sequence

is decreasing and

Hence, the above series is convergent.

(ii)

Consider the series

This is an alternating series with

Since

the series is divergent.

(iii)

Consider alternating series

Let

Then
Since
,
is a monotonically decreasing function. Thus

Further

Hence, by alternating series test, the above series is convergent.

26.2.8Note:
(i)

The alternating series test not only gives the convergence of the series, in fact, if

,
then
.

(ii)

If

is an absolutely convergent series, and any rearrangement of the series does not affect its

convergence or its sum. However, this is not the case with an alternating series. In fact, if a alternating
series is convergent, then by a suitable rearrangement, it can be made to converge to any given real
numbers. For more elaboration reader may consult any book on Real Analysis.
PRACTICE EXCERCISES
1.

Show that the following alternating series are convergent.

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

2.

Show that the following alternating series are absolutely convergent

.

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)
3.

Show that the following series are conditionally convergent:

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)
4.

Prove the following statements:

(i)

is absolutely convergent, then

If a series

If the series

and

are

both

absolutely

convergent,

then

so

are

the

series

(ii)

and
5.

Let

The series

.
series. Define for all

is called the positive part of the series and the series

is called the

negative part of the series. Prove the following:

(i)

(ii)

If

is convergent, then both

terms).

Recap

In this section you have learnt the following

Absolute convergence of series.

Conditional Convergence of series.

and

are convergent series (of non negative