Chapter 9: Problem 52
Writing Discuss the convergence of the sequence \(\left\\{r^{n}\right\\}\) considering the cases \(|r|<1,|r|>1, r=1,\) and \(r=-1\) separately.
Short Answer
Expert verified
Converges to 0 if \(|r|<1\), diverges if \(|r|>1\), converges to 1 if \(r=1\), and diverges if \(r=-1\).
Step by step solution
01
Understanding the Sequence
We are given a sequence \( \{r^n\} \), where \( r \) is a constant and \( n \) is a natural number. The sequence is composed of the terms \( r, r^2, r^3, \ldots \). We need to determine its behavior (convergence) based on different values of \( r \).
02
Case 1 - \(|r|
When \(|r|<1\), as \( n \) becomes very large, the term \( r^n \) becomes very small and approaches zero. Since the terms of the sequence tend towards zero, the sequence converges to zero.
03
Case 2 - \(|r|>1\)
When \(|r|>1\), each successive term of the sequence becomes larger in magnitude than the previous term. As \( n \) increases, \( r^n \) grows without bound, leading to the sequence diverging to infinity or negative infinity, depending on the sign of \( r \).
04
Case 3 - \(r=1\)
If \( r=1 \), every term in the sequence is \( 1^n=1 \), irrespective of \( n \). Thus, the sequence is constantly equal to 1 for all \( n \), and it converges to 1.
05
Case 4 - \(r=-1\)
When \( r=-1 \), the terms of the sequence alternate between \( 1 \) and \( -1 \), i.e., \( (-1)^n \). This alternating nature means the sequence does not settle at a single value, thus it does not converge and is considered divergent.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Geometric Sequences
A geometric sequence is a sequence of numbers where each term after the first is obtained by multiplying the previous term by a fixed non-zero number called the common ratio, denoted as \( r \). For example, in the sequence \( 2, 4, 8, 16, \ldots \), the common ratio is \( 2 \). The general form of a geometric sequence is \( a, ar, ar^2, ar^3, \ldots \) where \( a \) is the first term and \( r \) is the common ratio.
Key characteristics of geometric sequences include:
Key characteristics of geometric sequences include:
- If \( |r| < 1 \), the terms approach zero as \( n \) increases, making the sequence converge to zero.
- If \( |r| > 1 \), the absolute value of the terms increases rapidly, leading to divergence. This means the sequence can grow to infinity if \( r > 1 \) or flip signs and diverge if \( r < -1 \).
- If \( r = 1 \), every term is identical to the first term, leading to the sequence converging to that constant value.
- If \( r = -1 \), the sequence alternates in sign, which results in divergence since the sequence does not stabilize at a single value.
Sequence Divergence
Sequence divergence occurs when the terms of a sequence do not approach a specific, finite number as the term index \( n \) becomes indefinitely large. Essentially, a divergent sequence either increases or decreases without bound.
There are several patterns of divergence that can occur in sequences:
There are several patterns of divergence that can occur in sequences:
- Unbounded Growth: If the terms continue increasing or decreasing to extremely large absolute values, such as in the case where \( |r| > 1 \) in geometric sequences, the sequence diverges to positive or negative infinity.
- Oscillation: Changes in sign without stabilization, like when \( r = -1 \) in a geometric sequence, can lead to an oscillating pattern where the terms alternate between positive and negative values, preventing convergence to a single number.
Convergent Sequences
A sequence is said to be convergent if its terms get closer and closer to a specific value, known as the limit, as the term index \( n \) approaches infinity. In simple terms, a convergent sequence settles at a single numerical value.
For sequences to converge, certain conditions typically must be met:
For sequences to converge, certain conditions typically must be met:
- The terms should steadily decrease in distance from the limit after a certain point, such as when \( |r| < 1 \) in a geometric sequence, causing the terms to shrink towards zero.
- The sequence could be constant, where all terms equal the same value (e.g., \( r = 1 \) in a geometric sequence), automatically converging as there’s no deviation from the limit.