Department of Mathematics

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

MA 101: Mathematics I
Solutions of Tutorial Sheet-4
July-December 2019

1. Examine whether the following series are convergent.

∞
nn
P
(a) 2n2
n=1

nn 1 n
Solution. Taking xn = 2n2
for all n ∈ N, we have lim |xn | n = lim n =0<1
n→∞ n→∞ 2
2n
(since lim n+1
n+1 · = 12 < 1). Hence by the root test, the given series is
n→∞ 2 n
convergent.
∞
P n n 2
(b) ( n+1 )
n=1

n n 2 1 1
Solution. Taking xn = ( n+1 ) for all n ∈ N, we have lim |xn | n = lim 1 n =
n→∞ n→∞ (1+ n )
1
e
< 1. Hence by the root test, the given series is convergent.
∞ √
n+1
(−1)n+1
P
(c) n+1
n=1
√ √
n+1
Solution. For n ∈ N, the inequality n+1+1
n+2
< n+1 is equivalent to the inequal-
3 √
ity (n + 1) 2 < (n + 2) n + 1. Since n(n + 2) − (n + 1)3 = n2 + n − 1 > 0
2
3 √
for all n ∈ N, we get (n + 1) 2 < (n + 2) n + 1 for all √ n ∈ N and hence
√ √
n+1+1 n+1 n+1
n+2
< n+1 for all n ∈ N. Consequently the sequence n+1 is decreasing.
√ √1 + 1
n+1 n n
Also, n+1
= 1
1+ n
→ 0. Hence by Leibniz’s test, the given series converges.

∞
1
P
2. Examine whether the series (log n)log n
is convergent.
n=2

Solution. We have (log n)log n = (elog(log n) )log n = (elog n )log(log n) = nlog(log n) for all
2 2
n ≥ 2. Also, log(log n) > 2 for all n > ee . We choose n0 ∈ N such that n0 > ee .
∞
1 1 1 1
P
Then (log n)log n = nlog(log n) ≤ n2 for all n ≥ n0 . Since n2
is convergent, by
n=1
comparison test, the given series is convergent.

3. Examine whether the following series are conditionally convergent.

∞ √
(−1)n ( n2 + 1 − n)
P
(a)
n=1
√
Solution. Let xn = n2 + 1 − n for all n ∈ N. Then xn > 0 for all n ∈ N and
1
1
xn = √n2 +1+n = q n
1
→ 0. Also, xn+1 = √ 2
1 1
< √n2 +1+n = xn
1+ +1 (n+1) +1+(n+1)
n2
for all n ∈ N. That is, the sequence (xn ) is decreasing. Therefore by Leibniz’s
∞
(−1)n+1 xn is convergent and hence the given series is convergent.
P
test,
n=1
 1 xn q 1 1
Again, if yn = n
for all n ∈ N, then lim = lim = 6= 0. Since
n→∞ yn n→∞ 1+ 12 +1 2
n
∞
P ∞
P
yn is not convergent, by limit comparison test, xn is not convergent,
n=1 n=1
∞ √
|(−1)n ( n2 + 1 − n)| is not convergent. Thus the given series is
P
that is,
n=1
conditionally convergent.
∞
P (−1)n
(b) n2 +(−1)n
n=2

∞ ∞
P (−1)n P 1
Solution. By comparison test, the series n2 +(−1)n
= n2 +(−1)n
is conver-
n=2 n=2
∞
1 2 1
P
gent, since 0 < n2 +(−1)n
< n2
for all n ≥ 2 and n2
is convergent. Thus the
n=2
given series is absolutely convergent, and hence the series is not conditionally
convergent.
∞ 2
(−1)n a n+n
P
(c) 2 , where a ∈ R
n=1

2
Solution. Let a ∈ R and let xn = a n+n2 for all n ∈ N. Then xn > 0 for all n ∈ N
a2 1 a2 1 a2 1
and xn = n2 + n → 0. Also, xn+1 = (n+1) 2 + n+1 < n2 + n = xn for all n ∈ N,

that is, the sequence (xn ) is decreasing. Therefore by Leibniz’s test, it follows
that the given series is convergent.
2
Again, if yn = n1 for all n ∈ N, then lim xynn = lim ( an + 1) = 1 6= 0. Since
n→∞ n→∞
P∞ P ∞
yn is not convergent, by limit comparison test, xn is not convergent,
n=1 n=1
∞
a2 +n
|(−1)n
P
that is, n2
| is not convergent. Thus the given series is conditionally
n=1
convergent.
∞
P (−1)n (x−1)n
4. Find all x ∈ R for which the series 2n n2
converges.
n=1

Solution. If x = 1, then the given series becomes 0 + 0 + · · · , which is clearly con-

(−1)n (x−1)n
vergent. Let x(6= 1) ∈ R and let an = 2n n2
for all n ∈ N. Then lim | an+1 |=
n→∞ an
∞
1
an converges (absolutely) if 12 |x − 1| < 1, that is, if
P
2
|x − 1|. Hence by ratio test,
n=1
x ∈ (−1, 3) and does not converge if 21 |x − 1| > 1, that is, if x ∈ (−∞, −1) ∪ (3, ∞).
∞ ∞
If 21 |x − 1| = 1, that is, if x ∈ {−1, 3}, then 1
P P
|an | = n2
converges and hence
n=1 n=1
∞
P ∞
P
an converges. Therefore the set of x ∈ R for which an converges is [−1, 3].
n=1 n=1

∞
an
P
5. Show that the series an +n
is convergent if 0 < a < 1 and is not convergent if
n=1
a > 1.
∞
an
< an for all n ∈ N and an is convergent.
P
Solution. If 0 < a < 1, then 0 < an +n
n=1
∞
an
P
Hence by comparison test, an +n
is convergent if 0 < a < 1. Again, if a > 1, then
n=1
 ∞
an 1 an
P
an +n
= 1+ ann
→ 1 6= 0 and hence an +n
is not convergent if a > 1. (We have used
n=1
n n+1 an 1
that lim n = 0, which follows from the fact that lim n+1 · = < 1.)
n→∞ a n→∞ a n a

∞
(−1)n sin( αn ) is conditionally convergent.
P
6. If α (6= 0) ∈ R, then show that the series
n=1

Solution. We choose n0 ∈ N such that |α| n0

< π2 . Then for all n ≥ n0 , sin( αn ) has the
π
same sign as 
that of α.
 Since the sine function is increasing in (0, 2 ), it follows that
∞
the sequence sin( |α|
n
) is decreasing. Also, lim sin( |α|
n
) = 0. Hence by Leibniz’s
n=n0 n→∞
∞ ∞
(−1)n sin( αn ) is convergent. Consequently (−1)n sin( αn ) is convergent.
P P
test,
n=n0 n=1
∞ ∞
|(−1)n sin( αn )| = | sin( αn )| is not convergent by limit comparison test,
P P
Again,
n=1 n=1
∞
sin x | sin(α/n)| sin(α/n) P 1
since (using lim = 1) lim = |α| lim = |α| 6= 0 and is
x→0 x n→∞ 1/n n→∞ α/n
n=1
n

not convergent. Therefore the given series is conditionally convergent.

∞
(−1)n+1 n1p is convergent iff p > 0.
P
7. For p ∈ R, the series
n=1

Solution. For p ≤ 0, |(−1)n+1 n1p | = n1p 6→ 0 and so (−1)n+1 n1p 6→ 0. Hence the given
series is not convergent if p ≤ 0. If p > 0, then ( n1p ) is a decreasing sequence of
positive real numbers with n1p → 0 and hence the given series converges by Leibniz’s
test.

8. (Rearrangement of series). If 1 − 12 + 1
3
− 1
4
+ 1
5
− 1
6
+ · · · = s, then prove that
1 + 13 − 12 + 15 + 17 − 14 + 19 + · · · = 23 s.

Solution. We first note that by Leibniz’s test, the series 1− 12 + 13 − 14 +· · · converges.

Let
1 1 1
1− + − + · · · = s. (1)
2 3 4
1
Then the series 2
− 41 + 16 − · · · = 21 (1 − 12 + 31 − · · · ) converges to 12 s. It follows that
the series
1 1 1 1 1
0+ − 0 − + 0 + − 0 − + ··· = s (2)
2 4 6 8 2
Hence the series (1 + 0) + (− 12 + 12 ) + ( 31 − 0) + (− 14 − 14 ) + ( 15 + 0) + · · · , which is the
sum of the series (1) and (2), converges to s + 12 s = 32 s. Therefore it follows that
1 + 31 − 12 + 15 + 17 − 14 + 19 + · · · = 23 s.