MATH1014 Calculus II (2023 Spring) Tutorial Notes 10 (Phyllis LIANG)
MATH 1014 Tutorial Notes 10
Topics covered in tutorial 10:
1. Basic knowledge of sequences
2. Method to find the limit of a sequence
3. Growth Rates of Sequences
4. Geometric sequences
1. Basic knowledge of sequences
What you need to know:
• Sequences, Recurrence relation; Explicit formula
• Understand a sequence from the perspective of a function
• Arithmetic sequences & Geometric sequences
• Limit of a sequence (Convergence)
Sequences: Recurrence relation: Explicit formula:
A sequence {𝑎𝑛 } is an ordered list 𝑎𝑛+1 = 𝑓(𝑎𝑛 ) 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑓(𝑛)
of numbers:
1
{𝑎1 , 𝑎2 , 𝑎3 , ⋯ , 𝑎𝑛 , ⋯ } e.g. 𝑎𝑛+1 = 2𝑎𝑛 + 1, 𝑎1 = 0 e.g. 𝑎𝑛 = 2𝑛
1 1 1 1
{0, 1, 3, ⋯ , 2𝑛 − 1, ⋯ } { , , ,⋯, 𝑛 ,⋯}
2 4 8 2
Remark: A sequence is a function with a special domain (positive integer)
Arithmetic sequences: Geometric sequences:
Initial term: 𝑎1 Initial term: 𝑎1
Common difference: d Common ratio: q
Explicit formula: 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + (𝑛 − 1)𝑑 Explicit formula: 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 𝑞 𝑛−1
(𝑎 +𝑎 )𝑛
Partial sum: 𝑆𝑛 = 1 2 n 𝑛𝑎1 , 𝑞=1
Partial sum: 𝑆𝑛 = {𝑎1 (1−𝑞𝑛)
, 𝑞≠1
1−𝑞
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MATH1014 Calculus II (2023 Spring) Tutorial Notes 10 (Phyllis LIANG)
Limit of a sequence (Convergence):
If 𝑎𝑛 approaches a unique number 𝐿 as 𝑛 tends to infinity, then we say that {𝑎𝑛 } converges to 𝐿 and
𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒂𝒏 = 𝑳,
𝒏→∞
Otherwise, {𝑎𝑛 } diverges.
Convergent Divergent Divergent
𝑛
Example 10.1 Determine if the limit of the sequence {(−1)𝑛 𝑛+1 } exist. If it exists, find its limit.
2. Method to find the limit of a sequence
What you need to know:
• Limits of sequences from Limits of functions
• Squeeze/ Sandwich theorem
• Bounded monotonic sequence theorem
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MATH1014 Calculus II (2023 Spring) Tutorial Notes 10 (Phyllis LIANG)
Limits of sequences from Limits of functions:
Suppose 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑓(𝑛) for all positive integer 𝑛, then
𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒇(𝒙) = 𝑳 ⟹ 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒂𝒏 = 𝑳
𝒙→∞ 𝒏→∞
⇍
e.g. 𝑎𝑛 = cos(2𝜋𝑛), then lim 𝑎𝑛 = 1 but lim cos (2𝜋𝑥) does not
𝑛→∞ 𝑥→∞
exist.
Example 10.2 Determine if the limit of the sequence {√𝑛2 + 4𝑛 − √𝑛2 } exist. If it exists, find its limit.
ln(1/𝑛)
Example 10.3 Determine if the limit of the sequence { } exist. If it exists, find its limit.
𝑛
1
1 𝑛
Example 10.4 Determine if the limit of the sequence {(𝑛) } exist. If it exists, find its limit.
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MATH1014 Calculus II (2023 Spring) Tutorial Notes 10 (Phyllis LIANG)
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Example 10.5 Determine if the limit of the sequence {(𝑒 2𝑛 + 6𝑛) } exist. If it exists, find its limit.
𝑛
Squeeze/ Sandwich theorem:
Let {𝑎𝑛 }, {𝑏𝑛 }, {𝑐𝑛 } be sequences with 𝑎𝑛 ≤ 𝑏𝑛 ≤ 𝑐𝑛
for all integers 𝑛 greater than some positive number 𝑁.
𝐼𝑓 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒂𝒏 = 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒄𝒏 = 𝑳 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝒃𝒏 = 𝑳 .
𝒏→∞ 𝒏→∞ 𝒏→∞
2𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 𝑛
Example 10.6 Determine if the limit of the sequence{ } exist. If it exists, find its limit.
𝑛3 +4
Example 10.7 Evaluate the limit of the sequence
𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑛 𝑠𝑖𝑛6𝑛
(𝑎) { } (𝑏) { }
𝑛 5𝑛
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MATH1014 Calculus II (2023 Spring) Tutorial Notes 10 (Phyllis LIANG)
Monotonic sequences:
A sequence {𝑎𝑛 } is said to be increasing if 𝑎𝑛+1 ≥ 𝑎𝑛 for all 𝑛.
A sequence {𝑎𝑛 } is said to be decreasing if 𝑎𝑛+1 ≤ 𝑎𝑛 for all 𝑛.
A sequence {𝑎𝑛 } that is either decreasing or increasing said to be Monotonic.
Bounded sequences:
A sequence {𝑎𝑛 } is said to be bounded above by K if 𝑎𝑛 ≤ K for all 𝑛, where K is a finite number.
A sequence {𝑎𝑛 } is said to be bounded below by k if 𝑎𝑛 ≥ k for all 𝑛, where k is a finite number.
A sequence that is both bounded above and bounded below is said to be bounded.
Bounded monotonic sequence theorem:
A bounded monotonic sequence converges.
Or in other words, (a) every increasing and bounded above sequence must be convergent.
(b) every decreasing and bounded below sequence must be convergent.
Example 10.8 Define 𝑎1 = 1, and 𝑎𝑛+1 = √1 + 𝑎𝑛 for all 𝑛 = 1,2,3 …, {𝑎𝑛 } is provided convergent and find
lim 𝑎𝑛 .
𝑛→∞
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MATH1014 Calculus II (2023 Spring) Tutorial Notes 10 (Phyllis LIANG)
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Example 10.9 Define 𝑎1 = 1, and 𝑎𝑛+1 = 1 + 𝑎 for all 𝑛 = 1,2,3 …. Find the value for 𝐿 = lim 𝑎𝑛 provided
𝑛 𝑛→∞
that the limit does exist.
Example 10.10 Find the limit of the bounded decreasing sequence defined by
1
a1 = 3, an+1 = +1
4 − an
If it exists.
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MATH1014 Calculus II (2023 Spring) Tutorial Notes 10 (Phyllis LIANG)
3. Growth Rates of Sequences
What you need to know:
• How to judge the convergence of a sequence by “Growth rates of sequences”
Growth Rates of Sequences:
The following sequences are ordered according to increasing growth rate as 𝑛 → ∞; that is, if {𝑎𝑛 } appears
before {𝑏𝑛 } in the list, then
𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒏
𝐥𝐢𝐦 = 𝟎, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝐥𝐢𝐦 =∞
𝒏→∞ 𝒃𝒏 𝒏→∞ 𝒂𝒏
The sequence is:
{𝒍𝒏𝒒 𝒏} ≪ {𝒏𝒑 } ≪ {𝒏𝒑 𝒍𝒏𝒓 𝒏} ≪ {𝒏𝒑+𝒔 } ≪ {𝒃𝒏 } ≪ {𝒏!} ≪ {𝒏𝒏 }
where 𝑝, 𝑞, 𝑟, 𝑠 are all positive real numbers, and 𝑏 > 1.
Example 10.11 Determine if the limit of the following sequences exist. If it exists, find its limit.
100𝑛2 +1 5𝑛
(𝑎) { } (𝑏) { }
𝑛! 𝑛!
(−5)𝑛 2𝑛
(𝑐) { } (𝑑) {(−1)−𝑛 }
𝑛! ln(𝑛)
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MATH1014 Calculus II (2023 Spring) Tutorial Notes 10 (Phyllis LIANG)
4. Geometric sequences
What you need to know:
• How to judge if a geometric sequence converges
Geometric sequences:
0, 𝑖𝑓 |𝑟| < 1
𝑛 1, 𝑖𝑓 𝑟 = 1
Let 𝑟 be a real number. Then, lim 𝑟 = {
𝑛→∞
𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑖𝑠𝑡, 𝑖𝑓 𝑟 ≤ −1 𝑜𝑟 𝑟 ≥ 1
𝑛
If 𝑟 > 0, then {𝑟 } converges or diverges monotonically.
If 𝑟 < 0, then {𝑟 𝑛 } converges or diverges by oscillation.
Example 10.12 Which of the following sequences are convergent?
3 + 5𝑛2 1
(𝑎) 𝑎𝑛 = (𝑏) 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑛 𝑠𝑖𝑛
2𝑛 + 𝑛2 𝑛
𝑠𝑖𝑛2𝑛 𝑛!
(𝑐) 𝑎𝑛 = (𝑑) 𝑎𝑛 =
1 + √𝑛 3𝑛
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