Bridge to Abstract Mathematics: Mathematical Proof and Structures

(Dana P.) #1
6.1 CONCLUSIONS INVOLVING V, FOLLOWED BY 3 203


  1. Prove that lirn,,, f(x) exists if and only if both lim,,,+ f(x) and lim,,,- f(x)
    exist and are equal.

  2. (Some prior familiarity with infinite sequences beneficial in Exercises 20,21, and



  1. A real number x is said to be a limit of a sequence {x,), denoted x = lirn,,, x,
    or simply x, -r x (we also say that the sequence x, converges to x) if and only if
    VE > 0, 3 a positive integer N such that lx, - XI < E whenever n 2 N. This means
    that any E neighborhood of x, no matter how narrow, must contain all but a finite
    number (namely, some or all of the first N, where N depends on E) of the terms in
    the sequence. The Archimedean property of the real numbers, which we assume,
    says in essence that the sequence l/n converges to 0; that is, limn,, l/n = 0 (recall
    Example 2 ff., Article 4.2).


(a) Write the logical negation of the definition of sequential convergence; that
is, What is true if x # lirn,,, x,?
n even
(b) Prove that 0 # limn,, x,, where xn =

n > 10,000
(c) Prove that^0 = lirn,,, x,, where x, =

(d) Prove that, if x, -r x and k is a real number, then kx, + kx.
n even
(e) Prove that^0 = lirn,,, x,, where x, = - 1 n odd '

(f) Prove that if x, + x and y, + y, then x, + yn -+ x + y [recall Exercise 15(b)].



  1. (Continuation of 20) A real number x is said to be a cluster point of a sequence
    {x,), if and only if, for all E > 0 and for all positive integers N, there exists n 2 N
    such that Ix, - xl < E. This means that any E neighborhood of x, no matter how
    narrow, must contain infinitely many terms of the sequence.
    (a) Write the logical negation of the definition of cluster point.
    (b) Show that 1 is not a cluster point of the sequence {x,) defined by x, = lln.
    (c) Show that + 1 and - 1 are both cluster points of the sequence (x,} defined by
    x, = (- 1)". Thus cluster points of a sequence are not necessarily unique. (We
    will see in Article 6.3 that a limit of a sequence, if it exists, & unique.)
    (d) Prove that if lim,, , x, = x, then x is a cluster point of {x,). What does this
    say about the relative strength of the properties "x is a cluster point of {x,)"
    and "x is a limit of {x,}"?
    (e) Prove that 2 is a cluster point of the sequence.{x,) defined by
    n, n # 5k for any positive integer k
    2, n = 5k for some positive integer k
    Does this sequence have any other cluster point(s)? Does it have a limit?

  2. A sequence (x,} is said to be a Cauchy, or fundamental, sequence if and only
    if, for all E > 0, there exists N E N such that m 2 N and n 2 N imply Ix, - x,l < E.
    (a) Prove that if {x,) converges, then {x,} is Cauchy.
    (6) Prove that if {x,) is Cauchy, and if x is a cluster point of {x,), then (x,}
    converges to x.

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