Chapter 9: Problem 23
Find the convergence set for the given power series. Hint: First find a formula for the nth term; then use the Absolute Ratio Test. $$ \frac{x-1}{1}+\frac{(x-1)^{2}}{2}+\frac{(x-1)^{3}}{3}+\frac{(x-1)^{4}}{4}+\cdots $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The convergence set is [0, 2).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Series and nth-term
The given series is \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{(x-1)^n}{n} \). Here, each term of the series can be expressed as \( a_n = \frac{(x-1)^n}{n} \).
02
Apply the Absolute Ratio Test
The Absolute Ratio Test involves calculating the limit \( L = \lim_{n \to \infty} \left| \frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n} \right| \). Substitute the expression for \( a_n \): \[ \left| \frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n} \right| = \left| \frac{(x-1)^{n+1}/(n+1)}{(x-1)^n/n} \right| = \left| \frac{(x-1) \cdot n}{n+1} \right|. \]
03
Simplify the Ratio
Simplify the ratio: \[ \left| \frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n} \right| = \frac{|x-1|n}{n+1}. \] As \( n \to \infty \), \( \frac{n}{n+1} \to 1 \), therefore \[ L = \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{|x-1|n}{n+1} = |x-1|. \]
04
Determine Convergence
For the series to converge, we require \( L < 1 \). Thus, \( |x-1| < 1 \). This implies \( -1 < x - 1 < 1 \) or \( 0 < x < 2 \).
05
Check Endpoint Convergence
Check if the series converges at\( x = 0 \) and \( x = 2 \):- At \( x = 0 \), series becomes \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{(-1)^n}{n} \), which converges (alternating series test).- At \( x = 2 \), series becomes \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n} \), which diverges (harmonic series).
06
Final Step: Convergence Set
Combining the results, the set of convergence is \( 0 \leq x < 2 \).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Power Series
A power series is a type of series where the terms involve powers of a variable, commonly denoted as \( x \). The power series takes the form:
- \( \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} a_n (x-c)^n \) where each term is a function of \( x \).
- The series often "centers" at a particular value \( c \), known as the center of the series.
- For the power series given in the exercise, it centers at \( c = 1 \) because it's structured as \( \frac{(x-1)^n}{n} \).
Ratio Test
The Ratio Test is a powerful tool used to determine the convergence of a series, especially of a power series. By comparing the size of successive terms, it helps us identify whether their overall sum converges to a finite value. For a series \( \sum a_n \):
- Compute the limit \( L = \lim_{n \to \infty} \left| \frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n} \right| \).
- If \( L < 1 \), the series absolutely converges.
- If \( L > 1 \), the series diverges.
- If \( L = 1 \), the test is inconclusive, and other methods must be considered.
Convergence Set
A convergence set defines the values of \( x \) for which a power series will converge. To determine this set, we often use tests like the Ratio Test or the Alternating Series Test. Here's what you need to know:
- From the Ratio Test in the exercise, \( |x-1| < 1 \), indicating the series converges when \( 0 < x < 2 \).
- To fully define the convergence set, one must check endpoints separately since the Ratio Test may not apply there.
- For \( x = 0 \) and \( x = 2 \) in our exercise, further investigation established that the series converges at \( x = 0 \) but diverges at \( x = 2 \).
Alternating Series Test
The Alternating Series Test is a method to determine the convergence of series where successive terms alternate in sign, such as \( (-1)^n a_n \). The test involves a couple of simple checks:
- The absolute value of terms \( a_n \) must be decreasing, i.e., \( a_{n+1} \le a_n \).
- The limit of \( a_n \) as \( n \rightarrow \infty \) must be zero.
- Since \( 1/n \) decreases as \( n \) increases, and the limit of \( 1/n \) is zero, the series converges at \( x = 0 \).