Sequences, part II

Mathematics, winter semester 2016/2017

11.10.2017

Definition
A sequence (an ) tends (converges) to a limit g iff for any ε > 0 there exists
N (ε) ∈ N such that for any natural n ≥ N (ε) we have

g − ε < an < g + ε

or, equivalently, |an − g| < ε or an ∈ (g − ε, g + ε) .

Notation
To denote that a sequence (an ) tends to a limit g we write

lim an = g.
n→+∞

Arithmetic of the sequence limits

Theorem Let (an ) and (bn ) be two sequences such that limn→+∞ an = α,
limn→+∞ bn = β then
lim (an + bn ) = α + β,
n→+∞

lim (an − bn ) = α − β
n→+∞

and
lim (an · bn ) = α · β.
n→+∞

Additionally, if for n ∈ N, bn 6= 0 and β 6= 0 then

an α
lim = .
n→+∞ bn β

1
Important limits
•
1
lim = 0. (1)
n→+∞ n
• If −1 < q < 1 or, equivalently, |q| < 1 or q ∈ (−1, 1) then

lim q n = 0. (2)
n→+∞

• If α > 0 then √ 1
n
lim α = lim α n = 1.
n→+∞ n→+∞

More generally (bicontinuity of exponential functions), if for n ∈ N,

an > 0, limn→+∞ an = α > 0 and limn→+∞ bn = β then

lim abnn = αβ . (3)

n→+∞

• Also √
n
lim n = 1.
n→+∞

• If r ∈ R
r n 
lim 1 + = er ,
n→+∞ n
where e ≈ 2.7182818284.... More generally, if for n ∈ N, an > 0,
limn→+∞ an = 1 and limn→+∞ (an − 1) bn = γ then

lim abnn = eγ . (4)

n→+∞

Problems
1. Using limit (1) and arithmetic of the sequence limits compute the limit
of a sequence (an ) if
√ 2 √ 2
n+1 n2 −1 ( n+3) −6 n (3+ n1 ) −32
(a) an = n
; (b) an = 4−n2
; (c) an = n+1
; (d) an = 1 ;
√ n
2n2 +1−n
(e) an = n
.

2
 2. Using limit (3) with bn ≡ 12 (more precisely the fact that if for n ∈ N,
√
an ≥ 0 and limn→+∞ an = α then limn→+∞ an = α) and arithmetic
of the sequence limits compute the limit of a sequence (an ) if
q √ √ √
(a) an = √10n − n3 ; (b) an = n + 1 − n; (c) an = 4n2 + 3 − 2n;
√
(d) an = 4n2 + 3n − 2n.
3. Using limit (2) and arithmetic of the sequence limits compute the limit
of a sequence (an ) if
n−1 n n+3 n
(a) an = 242n+1−5
−7
; (b) an = 2n7+5n ; (c) an = 2·7n−2
7
−7n−1
;(d) an = 2n7·5n ; (e)
n n−1 +2 m 1
2
n
an = 32 23n+1 −3 ; (f) an = nm=0 32 = 1 + 32 + 23 + . . . + 32 .

P

4. Using limit (3) compute the limit of a sequence (an ) if

√ √ √
n √
(a) an = n 2n + 1; q (b) an = n 2n + 3n ; (c) an = 2 n ; (d) an =
√
10
n
5n − 4n ; (e) an = n 2 − n1 .

5. Using limit (4) compute the limit of a sequence (an ) if

2

n
n 1 n
; (b) an = 1 − n1 ; (c) an = 1 +


(a) an = 1 + 100·n n2
; (d)

(n2 )
(n2 )
3n
an = 1 − n32 ; (f) an = 1 − n3 n
. (e) an = n+2 .

Appendix
For n ∈ N and k ∈ {1, 2, . . . , n − 1} , nk is defined as


 
n n! n · (n − 1) · . . . · (n − k + 1)
= = ∈ N.
k k! (n − k)! 1 · 2 · ... · k
For example  
n n!
= = n.
1 1! (n − 1)!
Binomial Theorem For any a, b ∈ R and n ∈ N the following identity
holds
     
n n n n−1 n n−2 2 n
(a + b) = a + a b+ a b + ... + abn−1 + bn ,
1 2 n−1
Example Using the Binomial Theorem we will prove that
√n 1
1≤ 2≤1+ . (5)
n
3
Indeed, (5) is equivlent with
 √ n  n
n n 1
1 =1≤2= 2 ≤ 1+ .
n

n
The inequality 1 ≤ 2 is obvious. To prove the inequality 1 + n1 ≥ 2 we
use the Binomial Theorem and estimate
 n      
1 n n n−1 1 n n−2 1 n 1 1
1+ =1 + 1 + 1 2
+ ... + 1 n−1 + n
n 1 n 2 n n−1 n n
 
n n−1 1 1
≥ 1n + 1 = 1n + n = 1 + 1 = 2.
1 n n
Squeeze Theorem Let (an ) , (bn ) and (cn ) be three sequences such that
for all n ∈ N,
an ≤ b n ≤ c n .
If limn→+∞ an = limn→+∞ cn = g then also limn→+∞ bn = g.
Example Using (5) and the Squeeze Theorem we immediately get that
√n
lim 2 = 1.
n→+∞

Theorem If a sequence (an ) is bounded and monotonic then it is con-

vergent to some limit.
Example We will prove that the sequence
 n
1
en = 1 +
n
is increasing and bounded (from above) thus it is convergent.
To prove that it is increasing, using the Binomial Theorem we estimate
 n+1
1
en+1 = 1 +
n+1
 
1 (n + 1) n 1 n+1 1 1
= 1 + (n + 1) + 2 + ... + n +
n+1 2 (n + 1) n (n + 1) (n + 1)n+1
1 1 2
. . . 1 − n−1





1 − n+1 1 − n+1 1 − n+1 n+1 1
=1+1+ + ... + +
2! n! (n + 1)n+1
1 − n1 1 − n1 1 − n2 . . . 1 − n−1





n
>1+1+ + ... +
  2!   n!
n n−1 1 n n−2 1 1
= 1n + 1 + 1 2
+ . . . + n = en .
1 n 2 n n

4
To prove that it is bounded from above, using the Binomial Theorem we
estimate
1 − n1 1 − n1 1 − n2 . . . 1 − n−1





n
en = 1 + 1 + + ... +
2! n!
1 1 1 1
≤ 1 + 1 + + ... + ≤ 1 + 1 + + . . . + n−1
2!
n! 2 2
n
1 − 21 1
=1+ ≤1+ = 3.
1 − 12 1 − 21

n= en =
1 2
10 2.59374
102 2.70481
103 2.71692
104 2.71815
105 2.71827
106 2.71828