For each of the following series, find the sum if it converges. If it diverges, explain why.
(a) 
(b) 
| Background Information:
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| 1. The sum of a convergent geometric series is 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{a}{1-r}}
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| 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 r}
is the ratio of the geometric series
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| 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 a}
is the first term of the series.
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| 2. The 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}
th partial sum, 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 s_n}
for a 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 a_n }
is defined as
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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 s_n=\sum_{i=1}^n a_i.}
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Solution:
(a)
| Step 1:
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| 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 the 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}
th term of this sum.
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| We notice that
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| 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{a_2}{a_1}=-\frac{2}{4},~\frac{a_3}{a_2}=-\frac{1}{2},}
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 \frac{a_4}{a_2}=-\frac{1}{2}.}
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| So, this is a geometric series with 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 r=-\frac{1}{2}.}
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| 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 |r|<1,}
this series converges.
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| Step 2:
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| Hence, the sum of this geometric series is
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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{\frac{a_1}{1-r}} & = & \displaystyle{\frac{4}{1-(-\frac{1}{2})}}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\frac{4}{(\frac{3}{2})}}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\frac{8}{3}.} \end{array}}
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(b)
| Step 1:
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| We begin by using partial fraction decomposition. Let
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| 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}{(2x-1)(2x+1)}=\frac{A}{2x-1}+\frac{B}{2x+1}.}
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| If we multiply this equation by 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 (2x-1)(2x+1),}
we get
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| 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 1=A(2x+1)+B(2x-1).}
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| If we 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 x=\frac{1}{2},}
we get 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=\frac{1}{2}.}
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| If we 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 x=-\frac{1}{2},}
we get 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=-\frac{1}{2}.}
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| So, we have
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| 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{\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{(2n-1)(2n+1)}} & = & \displaystyle{\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{\frac{1}{2}}{2n-1}+\frac{-\frac{1}{2}}{2n+1}}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\frac{1}{2} \sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{2n-1}-\frac{1}{2n+1}.} \end{array}}
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| Step 2:
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| Now, we look at the partial sums, 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 s_n}
of this series.
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| First, we have
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| 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 s_1=\frac{1}{2}\bigg(1-\frac{1}{3}\bigg).}
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| Also, we have
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| 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{s_2} & = & \displaystyle{\frac{1}{2}\bigg(1-\frac{1}{3}+\frac{1}{3}-\frac{1}{5}\bigg)}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\frac{1}{2}\bigg(1-\frac{1}{5}\bigg)} \end{array}}
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| and
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| 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{s_3} & = & \displaystyle{\frac{1}{2}\bigg(1-\frac{1}{3}+\frac{1}{3}-\frac{1}{5}+\frac{1}{5}-\frac{1}{7}\bigg)}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\frac{1}{2}\bigg(1-\frac{1}{7}\bigg).} \end{array}}
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| If we compare 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 s_1,s_2,s_3,}
we notice a pattern.
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| We have
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| 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 s_n=\frac{1}{2}\bigg(1-\frac{1}{2n+1}\bigg).}
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| Step 3:
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| Now, to calculate the sum of this series we need to calculate
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| 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} s_n.}
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| We have
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| 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} s_n} & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} \frac{1}{2}\bigg(1-\frac{1}{2n+1}\bigg)}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\frac{1}{2}.} \end{array}}
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| Since the partial sums converge, the series converges and
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| the sum of the series is 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}{2}.}
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| Final Answer:
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| (a) 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{8}{3}}
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| (b) 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}{2}}
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