Advanced High-School Mathematics

(Tina Meador) #1

268 CHAPTER 5 Series and Differential Equations


(a)

∑∞
n=0

1

4 n^2 − 1

(b)

∑∞
n=0

3

9 n^2 − 3 n− 2


  1. Consider the series


Σ =

∑{ 1

n

∣∣
∣∣
∣the integerndoesn’t contain the digit 0

}
.

Therefore, the series Σ contains reciprocals of integers, except that,
for example, 10 is thrown out, as is 20, as is 100, 101, etc. No 0s
are allowed! Determine whether this series converges. (Hint:

Σ = 1 +

1

2

+···+

1

9

+

1

11

+

1

12

+···+

1

19

+

1

21

+···+

1

99

+

1

111

+

1

112

+···+

1

999

+ ···

< 9 +

92

10

+

93

100

+···.)


  1. (Formal definition ofe) Consider the sequencean=


(
1 +

1

n

)n
, n=
1 , 2 ,....

(a) Use the binomial theorem to show that an < an+1, n =
1 , 2 ,.... (Note that in the expansions of an and an+1, the
latter has one additional term. Moreover, the terms ofancan
be made to correspond to terms ofan+1with each of the terms
of the latter being larger.)

(b) Show that, for each positiven,an<1+1+

1

2!

+

1

3!

+···+

1

n!

< 3.

(c) Conclude that limn→∞

(
1 +

1

n

)n
exists. The limit is the familiar
natural exponential base,e, and is often taken as the formal
definition.
(d) Show that for any real number x, limn→∞

Ç
1 +

x
n

ån
=ex.(Hint:

note that limn→∞

Ç
1 +
x
n

ån
= limm→∞

(
1 +

1

m

)mx
.)
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