Chapter 9: Problem 15
Find the radius of convergence. $$\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{(n+1) x^{n}}{2^{n}+n}$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The radius of convergence is 2.
Step by step solution
01
Identify the general term
Consider the general term \( a_n = \frac{(n+1)x^n}{2^n+n} \) of the series.
02
Apply the Ratio Test
For the Ratio Test, calculate \( \lim_{n \to \infty} \left| \frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n} \right| \). We find that \( a_{n+1} = \frac{(n+2)x^{n+1}}{2^{n+1} + (n+1)} \).
03
Simplify the Ratio Expression
Simplify \( \frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n} \) to get:\[ \left| \frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n} \right| = \left| x \right| \cdot \frac{(n+2)}{(n+1)} \cdot \frac{2^n + n}{2^{n+1} + (n+1)} \]
04
Evaluate the Limit for the Ratio Test
We need to calculate:\[ \lim_{n \to \infty} \left| x \right| \cdot \frac{(n+2)}{(n+1)} \cdot \frac{2^n + n}{2^{n+1} + (n+1)} \]For large \(n\), the dominant terms are \(2^n\) in both the numerator and denominator:\[ \lim_{n \to \infty} \left| x \right| \cdot \frac{(n+2)}{(n+1)} \cdot \frac{2^n}{2^{n+1}} = \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{1}{2} \left| x \right| \]Hence, the limit is \( \frac{1}{2} \left| x \right| \).
05
Determine the Radius of Convergence
The series converges when the limit \( \frac{1}{2} \left| x \right| < 1 \), which simplifies to \( \left| x \right| < 2 \). Therefore, the radius of convergence is \( R = 2 \).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Ratio Test
The Ratio Test is a crucial tool for determining the convergence of infinite series, especially power series. It's based on evaluating the limit of the ratio of successive terms in a series.
- To use the Ratio Test, you find the limit \( L = \lim_{n \to \infty} \left| \frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n} \right| \), where \( a_n \) is the general term of your series.
- If \( L < 1 \), the series converges absolutely.
- If \( L > 1 \) or \( L = \infty \), the series diverges.
- If \( L = 1 \), the test is inconclusive; other methods must be used.
Power Series
A power series is a series of the form \( \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} c_n (x - a)^n \), where \( c_n \) is a sequence of coefficients and \( a \) is the center of the series.
- Each term in a power series is a power of \( (x - a) \), adjusted by the coefficient \( c_n \).
- The concept of power series is deeply linked with functions, as many functions can be expressed as power series within a certain interval.
- The interval where a power series converges is crucial and is centered around the point \( a \), known as the center.
- The distance from \( a \) to the endpoints of this interval is described by the radius of convergence \( R \).
Convergence
Convergence in the context of series refers to whether the sum of an infinite series approaches a finite value. If a series converges, you can sum its infinite terms to approximate a number.
- Convergent series are those whose sequence of partial sums converge to a finite number.
- Divergent series, on the other hand, do not sum to a finite value. They may increase indefinitely or oscillate.
- Understanding convergence is critical as it tells us where a function, expressed as an infinite series, actually behaves predictably.
- To find where a power series converges, the radius of convergence must be determined, which specifies the interval of \( x \)-values for convergence.
Limit Evaluation
Evaluating limits is a fundamental technique, especially in the context of the Ratio Test. It involves finding the value that a function or sequence "approaches" as the input approaches some point.
- In series analysis, evaluating limits often involves simplifying complex expressions to see how they behave as \( n \to \infty \).
- Proper limit evaluation helps in determining convergence, especially when applying tests like the Ratio Test.
- In our example, simplifying \( \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{1}{2} \left| x \right| \) helped identify the convergence behavior of the series.
- Numerical and algebraic techniques are commonly used to perform these evaluations, focusing on the leading terms that dominate the behavior as \( n \) becomes very large.