009C Sample Final 2, Problem 3

Determine if the following series converges or diverges. Please give your reason(s).

(a)  $\sum _{n=1}^{\infty }{\frac {n!}{(2n)!}}$

(b)  $\sum _{n=1}^{\infty }(-1)^{n}{\frac {1}{n+1}}$

Foundations:
1. Ratio Test
Let  $\sum a_{n}$  be a series and  $L=\lim _{n\rightarrow \infty }{\bigg |}{\frac {a_{n+1}}{a_{n}}}{\bigg |}.$
Then,
If  $L<1,$  the series is absolutely convergent.
If  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle L>1,}   the series is divergent.
If  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle L=1,}   the test is inconclusive.
2. If a series absolutely converges, then it also converges.
3. Alternating Series Test
Let  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \{a_n\}}   be a positive, decreasing sequence where  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} a_n=0.}
Then,  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \sum_{n=1}^\infty (-1)^na_n}   and  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \sum_{n=1}^\infty (-1)^{n+1}a_n}
converge.

Solution:

(a)

Step 1:
We begin by using the Ratio Test.
We have
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \begin{array}{rcl} \displaystyle{\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty}\bigg|\frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n}\bigg|} & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} \bigg| \frac{(n+1)!}{(2(n+1))!} \frac{(2n)!}{n!}\bigg|}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} \bigg| \frac{(n+1)n!}{(2n+2)(2n+1)(2n)!} \frac{(2n)!}{n!}\bigg|}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} \frac{n+1}{(2n+2)(2n+1)}}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{0.} \end{array}}

Step 2:
Since
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} \bigg|\frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n}\bigg|=0<1,}
the series is absolutely convergent by the Ratio Test.
Therefore, the series converges.

(b)

Step 1:
For
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \sum_{n=1}^\infty (-1)^n\frac{1}{n+1},}
we notice that this series is alternating.
Let  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle b_n=\frac{1}{n+1}.}
First, we have
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \frac{1}{n+1}\ge 0}
for all  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle n\ge 1.}
The sequence  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \{b_n\}}   is decreasing since
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \frac{1}{n+2}<\frac{1}{n+1}}
for all  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle n\ge 1.}

Step 2:
Also,
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \lim_{n\rightarrow \infty}b_n=\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty}\frac{1}{n+1}=0.}
Therefore, the series  Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \sum_{n=1}^\infty (-1)^n\frac{1}{n+1}}   converges
by the Alternating Series Test.

Final Answer:
(a)    converges (by the Ratio Test)
(b)    converges (by the Alternating Series Test)

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