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
- 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
+···.)
- (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
.)