DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Tutorial and practice problems on Single Variable Calculus
MA-101 : Mathematics-I Tutorial Problem Set - 1 July - November, 2025
PART-A (Tutorial)
1. Find the supremum and the infimum (if they exist) of the sets defined below.
(−1)n 2
(i) S1 = {1/n : n ∈ N}; (ii) S2 = {1 − n : n ∈ N}; (iii) S3 = { 2n
3n+2 : n ∈ N}.
+1
2. Let S be a nonempty subset of R and m, M ∈ R.
(i) Show that M = sup S if and only if x ≤ M for all x ∈ S and for any ϵ > 0 there
exists x ∈ S such that M − ϵ < x ≤ M.
(ii) Show that m = inf S if and only if x ≥ m for all x ∈ S and for any ϵ > 0 there
exists x ∈ S such that m ≤ x < m + ϵ.
3. Use the definition of convergence of a sequence to examine whether the sequences (xn )
defined below are convergent or not.
n2 2 1 3n + 2 5
(i) xn = ; (ii) xn = √ + + 3; (iii) xn = ; (iv) xn = .
n2 + n n n n+1 n3/2
4. Examine whether the sequences (xn ) defined below are convergent or not. Also, find the
limits when they exist.
nπ
(i) xn := sin( ); (ii) xn := (−1)n ; (iii) xn := nk xn , where k ∈ N and |x| < 1;
2
n √ √
(iv) xn := n , where x > 1; (v) xn := n3/2 ( n + 1 − n).
x
5. Let (xn ) be a sequence of real numbers.
(i) If xn := x1/n , where x > 0, then show that xn → 1 as n → ∞.
(ii) If xn := n1/n then show that xn → 1 as n → ∞.
(iii) If xn := xn , where |x| < 1, then show that xn → 0 as n → ∞.
6. Let (xn ) be a sequence of real numbers.
(i) Suppose that x1 := 2 and xn+1 := 2 + 1/xn for n ∈ N. Show that (xn ) converges
and find the limit.
(ii) Suppose that x1 := 1 and xn+1 := xn /(1 + 2xn ) for n ∈ N. Show that (xn ) converges
and find the limit.
(iii) If xn → L as n → ∞ then show that (x1 + · · · + xn )/n → L as n → ∞.
7. Let (xn ) be a sequence of nonzero real numbers. Prove or disprove the following:
1
(i) If (xn ) is not bounded, then lim = 0.
n→∞ xn
1
(ii) If (xn ) does not have any convergent subsequence, then lim = 0.
n→∞ xn
P.T.O.
1
PART-B (Homework/Practice problems)
1
1. Let a, b ∈ R. If |a − b| < for all n ∈ N then show that a = b.
n
If a ≤ b + 1
n for all n ∈ N then show that a ≤ b.
Let a ∈ R. Show that for any n ∈ N there is a rational number rn ∈ Q such that
1
|a − rn | < . (This shows the denseness of Q in R.)
n
2. Given any a, b ∈ R with a ̸= b, show that there exists δ > 0 such that the intervals
(a − δ, a + δ) and (b − δ, b + δ) have no point in common. (This is sometimes called the
Housdorff property.)
3. Let a, b ∈ R with a > 0. Show that there exists n ∈ N such that na > b. (This is
equivalent to the Archimedean property.)
4. Let (xn ) be a sequence in R.
(i) Suppose that xn ≥ a for all n ∈ N, where a ∈ R. If xn → x as n → ∞ then show
that x ≥ a. Give an example where xn > a but x = a.
(ii) Let (yn ) be a sequence satisfying a − xn ≤ x ≤ a − yn for all n ∈ N, where a, x ∈ R.
If xn → 0 and yn → 0 as n → ∞ then show that x = a.
(iii) If xn → x as n → ∞ then show that |xn | → |x| as n → ∞. Is the converse true?
√ √
(iv) Suppose that xn ≥ 0 for n ∈ N. If xn → x as n → ∞ then show that xn → x as
n → ∞.
5. Suppose that |xn − xn+1 | ≤ rn for n ∈ N, where 0 < r < 1. Show that (xn ) is a Cauchy
sequence. Give an example of a sequence (xn ) such that |xn − xn+1 | → 0 as n → ∞ but
(xn ) is not a Cauchy sequence.
6. Let (xn ) be a sequence defined by x1 > 0 and xn+1 := (2 + xn )−1 for n ∈ N. Show that
(xn ) converges and find the limit.
7. Examine whether the sequences (xn ) defined below are convergent or not. Also, find the
limits when they exist.
xn
(i) xn := n2 an , where 0 < a < 1; (ii) xn := , where x > 1.
n2
xn n!
(iii) xn := ; (iv) xn := .
n! nn
8. Consider the sequences (xn ) and (yn ). Prove or disprove the following.
(i) The sequence (xn yn ) converges if (xn ) converges.
(ii) The sequence (xn yn ) converges if (xn ) converges and (yn ) is bounded.
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