Chapter 9: Problem 18
In Problems \(1-20,\) an explicit formula for \(a_{n}\) is given. Write the first five terms of \(\left\\{a_{n}\right\\},\) determine whether the sequence converges or diverges, and, if it converges, find \(\lim _{n \rightarrow \infty} a_{n}\). $$ a_{n}=\frac{\ln (1 / n)}{\sqrt{2 n}} $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The sequence converges to 0.
Step by step solution
01
Calculate the First Term
To find the first term of the sequence, substitute \(n = 1\) into the formula: \[ a_1 = \frac{\ln(1/1)}{\sqrt{2 \times 1}} = \frac{\ln(1)}{\sqrt{2}} = \frac{0}{\sqrt{2}} = 0 \]
02
Calculate the Second Term
Substitute \(n = 2\) into the formula to find the second term: \[ a_2 = \frac{\ln(1/2)}{\sqrt{2 \times 2}} = \frac{\ln(0.5)}{2} = \frac{-0.6931}{2} \approx -0.3466 \]
03
Calculate the Third Term
Substitute \(n = 3\) into the formula: \[ a_3 = \frac{\ln(1/3)}{\sqrt{2 \times 3}} = \frac{\ln(0.3333)}{\sqrt{6}} = \frac{-1.0986}{\sqrt{6}} \approx -0.4487 \]
04
Calculate the Fourth Term
Substitute \(n = 4\) into the formula: \[ a_4 = \frac{\ln(1/4)}{\sqrt{2 \times 4}} = \frac{\ln(0.25)}{2 \sqrt{2}} = \frac{-1.3863}{2 \sqrt{2}} \approx -0.4901 \]
05
Calculate the Fifth Term
Substitute \(n = 5\) into the formula: \[ a_5 = \frac{\ln(1/5)}{\sqrt{2 \times 5}} = \frac{\ln(0.2)}{\sqrt{10}} = \frac{-1.6094}{\sqrt{10}} \approx -0.5099 \]
06
Determine Convergence or Divergence
Examine the behavior of the terms as \(n\) increases. The sequence formula is:\[ a_n = \frac{\ln(1/n)}{\sqrt{2n}} = \frac{-\ln(n)}{\sqrt{2n}} \]As \(n\) approaches infinity, both \(\ln(n)\) and \(\sqrt{2n}\) grow larger, but the logarithmic growth is slower than the square root growth, leading \(a_n\) to approach 0.
07
Calculate the Limit
Use L'Hôpital's Rule to evaluate the limit:The limit of \( \frac{-\ln(n)}{\sqrt{2n}} \) as \(n\) approaches infinity is indeterminate of the form \(\frac{-\infty}{\infty}\). Differentiate the numerator and denominator:\[ f(n)=\ln(n), \, f'(n)=\frac{1}{n}, \quad g(n)=\sqrt{2n}, \, g'(n)=\frac{1}{\sqrt{8n}} \] Now applying L'Hôpital's Rule:\[ \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{-\ln(n)}{\sqrt{2n}} = \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{-\frac{1}{n}}{\frac{1}{2\sqrt{2n}}} = \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{-2\sqrt{2n}}{n} = \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{-2\sqrt{2}}{\sqrt{n}} = 0 \]Thus, the sequence converges and the limit is 0.
Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!
-
Full Textbook Solutions
Get detailed explanations and key concepts
-
Unlimited Al creation
Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...
-
Ads-free access
To over 500 millions flashcards
-
Money-back guarantee
We refund you if you fail your exam.
Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91Ó°ÊÓ!
Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
The Explicit Formula of a Sequence
When we talk about an explicit formula for a sequence, we refer to a rule that allows you to find the value of any term in a sequence directly from its position number. This is different from a recursive formula, which requires you to know previous terms. In the given exercise, the explicit formula for the sequence is \( a_n = \frac{\ln(1/n)}{\sqrt{2n}} \). What this means is:
- You can plug in any value for \( n \) to calculate the \( n^{th} \) term of the sequence.
- This formula is used to compute the values sequentially for \( n = 1, 2, 3, \) and so on.
Understanding L'Hôpital's Rule
L'Hôpital's Rule is a popular technique in calculus for finding limits that present indeterminate forms, like \( \frac{0}{0} \) or \( \frac{\infty}{\infty} \). It simplifies the process of finding these limits by allowing differentiation of the numerator and denominator until the limit is no longer indeterminate.
- In our sequence, \( a_n = \frac{-\ln(n)}{\sqrt{2n}} \), as \( n \rightarrow \infty \), the form is \( \frac{-\infty}{\infty} \), which is indeterminate.
- By applying L'Hôpital's Rule, we differentiate the numerator \( (-\ln(n)) \) to get \( \frac{-1}{n} \), and the denominator \( (\sqrt{2n}) \) to get \( \frac{1}{2\sqrt{2n}} \).
- After differentiation, the limit becomes solvable, as evidenced by the finite computations revealing it approaches zero.
Sequence Limit Calculation
Finding the limit of a sequence as \( n \rightarrow \infty \) is often crucial for understanding its long-term behavior. In this particular problem, we needed to establish whether the sequence \( a_n = \frac{\ln(1/n)}{\sqrt{2n}} \) converges, and if so, what it converges to.
- First, observe that the sequence converges if the limit exists and is finite.
- Since \( \ln(n) \) grows slower than \( \sqrt{2n} \), one can anticipate that the fraction \( \frac{-\ln(n)}{\sqrt{2n}} \) diminishes near zero as \( n \) becomes very large.
- L'Hôpital's Rule provided the mathematical means to calculate that limit precisely, showing that the entire sequence tended toward zero.