Chapter 5: Problem 67
Using sigma notation, write the following expressions as infinite series. $$ 1+\frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{3}+\frac{1}{4}+\cdots $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The series is written as \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n} \).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Pattern
Observe the given sequence: \(1 + \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{3} + \frac{1}{4} + \cdots\). Notice that each term is of the form \(\frac{1}{n}\), where \(n\) is an integer starting from 1.
02
Determine the General Term
From the pattern \( \frac{1}{n} \), we deduce that the general term of the series is \( a_n = \frac{1}{n} \). This general term represents each term in the sequence.
03
Use Sigma Notation
Express the sequence as an infinite series using sigma notation. The series can be written as: \[ \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n} \]This represents the infinite sum of the terms in our sequence, starting at \( n = 1 \) and continuing indefinitely.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
sigma notation
Sigma notation is a way of writing a series using the Greek letter "Σ". It's a concise mathematical way to express the sum of several terms when they follow a specific pattern. In sigma notation, the notation looks like this: \( \sum_{n=a}^{b} f(n) \). This translates to, "Sum of \( f(n) \) terms, starting from \( n = a \) to \( n = b \)."
Sigma notation elegantly captures the idea of summing an infinite number of sequence terms.
- The symbol \( \Sigma \) stands for summation - think of it as a mathematical way to write "add everything up".
- \( n \) is the index of summation. It tells you which number to start from.
- \( f(n) \) represents the general formula or rule for generating the terms you want to sum.
Sigma notation elegantly captures the idea of summing an infinite number of sequence terms.
sequence
A sequence in mathematics is an ordered list of numbers. Each number in the list is called a term. Sequences are defined based on a specific rule that determines the order and value of its terms. Think of a sequence as an instruction that tells you how to go from one number to the next in a list.
- The sequence given in the exercise is \( 1, \frac{1}{2}, \frac{1}{3}, \frac{1}{4}, \ldots \)
- It's an infinite sequence, meaning it keeps going without end.
- A sequence can be described using an explicit formula, which tells you how to find any term in the sequence.
general term
The general term of a sequence is a formula that allows you to find any term in the sequence. This is a key concept in analyzing sequences and series because it helps pinpoint exactly what each term looks like without needing to list them.
- The general term is often written as \( a_n \), where \( n \) represents the position of the term in the sequence.
- For the sequence \( 1, \frac{1}{2}, \frac{1}{3}, \frac{1}{4}, \ldots \), the general term is \( a_n = \frac{1}{n} \).
- The formula tells us that for the nth term, you need to divide 1 by \( n \).
harmonic series
The harmonic series is a specific type of series where each term is the reciprocal of a positive integer. It's a classic example of an infinite series studied in mathematics.
- It is represented as \( 1 + \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{3} + \frac{1}{4} + \ldots \)
- Each term of the harmonic series takes the form \( \frac{1}{n} \), which is consistent with the general term \( a_n = \frac{1}{n} \).
- It's called "harmonic" because of its connection to harmonically related frequencies in music.
- This series diverges. This means that as you add more and more terms, the series as a whole increases without bound rather than settling at a particular value.