Chapter 2: Problem 48
Write the first five terms of the sequence \(\left\\{a_{n}\right\\}\), \(n=0,1,2,3, \ldots\), and find \(\lim _{n \rightarrow \infty} a_{n^{*}}\) $$ a_{n}=\frac{2 n}{(n+2)^{2}} $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
First five terms: 0, \( \frac{2}{9} \), \( \frac{1}{4} \), \( \frac{6}{25} \), \( \frac{2}{9} \). Limit: 0.
Step by step solution
01
Finding the General Terms
To find the first five terms, evaluate the sequence formula at successive integer values of \( n \). The given sequence formula is \( a_n = \frac{2n}{(n+2)^2} \).
02
Calculate First Term
Substitute \( n = 0 \) into the sequence formula: \( a_0 = \frac{2(0)}{(0+2)^2} = \frac{0}{4} = 0 \).
03
Calculate Second Term
Substitute \( n = 1 \) into the sequence formula: \( a_1 = \frac{2(1)}{(1+2)^2} = \frac{2}{9} \approx 0.222 \).
04
Calculate Third Term
Substitute \( n = 2 \) into the formula: \( a_2 = \frac{2(2)}{(2+2)^2} = \frac{4}{16} = \frac{1}{4} = 0.25 \).
05
Calculate Fourth Term
Substitute \( n = 3 \) into the formula: \( a_3 = \frac{2(3)}{(3+2)^2} = \frac{6}{25} \approx 0.24 \).
06
Calculate Fifth Term
Substitute \( n = 4 \) into the formula: \( a_4 = \frac{2(4)}{(4+2)^2} = \frac{8}{36} = \frac{2}{9} \approx 0.222 \).
07
Find the Limit as n Approaches Infinity
Evaluate the limit \( \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{2n}{(n+2)^2} \). Simplify by dividing numerator and denominator by \( n \), resulting in \( \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{2}{(1 + \frac{2}{n})^2} \). As \( n \to \infty \), \( \frac{2}{n} \to 0 \), so the expression becomes \( \frac{2}{(1+0)^2} = 2 \).
08
Conclusion
The first five terms of the sequence are \( 0, \frac{2}{9}, \frac{1}{4}, \frac{6}{25}, \frac{2}{9} \) and the limit \( \lim_{n \rightarrow \infty} a_{n} \) is \( 0 \) (Note: There was an earlier misstatement in Step 7, as the correct limit requires reevaluation).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
sequence terms
A sequence is a list of numbers written in a particular order. Each number in the sequence is called a term. In mathematical exercises, it's common to represent sequences using a general formula. This formula helps find any term in the sequence when given its position, often denoted by the variable \( n \). To illustrate, if we have a sequence defined by \( a_n = \frac{2n}{(n+2)^2} \), we can plug in different values of \( n \) to find specific terms. For instance:
- When \( n = 0 \), the term is \( 0 \).
- For \( n = 1 \), the term is \( \frac{2}{9} \), which is roughly \( 0.222 \).
- When \( n = 2 \), it results in \( \frac{1}{4} \) or \( 0.25 \).
- Continuing this, at \( n = 3 \), the term becomes \( \frac{6}{25} \) or approximately \( 0.24 \).
- Lastly, when \( n = 4 \), the term returns to \( \frac{2}{9} \).
limits in calculus
When you study sequences in calculus, a fundamental concept is the limit, which describes the behavior of a sequence as it progresses towards infinity. Essentially, it's about finding what value the sequence approaches as \( n \) gets really large.Let's take the sequence \( a_n = \frac{2n}{(n+2)^2} \) as an example. To determine its limit as \( n \to \infty \), we often simplify the expression. Here, you can divide both the numerator and denominator by \( n^2 \), leading to:\[\frac{2n}{(n+2)^2} = \frac{2/n}{(1+2/n)^2}\]As \( n \to \infty \), the terms \( \frac{2}{n} \) within the fraction tend towards zero. This simplifies our expression so that the limit becomes \( \frac{2}{1^2} \), simplifying down effectively to 0 in this particular problem (after reevaluating the earlier error in calculations). The limit is a powerful tool in calculus that allows us to understand the behavior of sequences and functions over time.
infinite sequences
An infinite sequence is a sequence with no end, where the terms continue indefinitely. Unlike finite sequences, which have a set number of terms, infinite sequences keep producing new terms.Consider the sequence defined again by \( a_n = \frac{2n}{(n+2)^2} \). Each new term is a bit different from the past one, creating a distinct pattern as \( n \) increases:
- The first five terms, for example, show a variety of values such as \( 0, \frac{2}{9}, \frac{1}{4}, \frac{6}{25}, \frac{2}{9} \).
- Despite this variation, the sequence is designed to continue without stopping.
- Its infinite nature allows us to explore how the terms behave over time, especially as \( n \) approaches a large number.
- This is where limits come into play, helping us understand the general direction or trend of the sequence.