Chapter 24: Problem 6
For the series \(5-\frac{5}{2}+\frac{5}{4}-\frac{5}{8}+\cdots+\frac{(-1)^{n}-5}{2^{n-1}}\) find an expression for the sum of the first \(n\) terms. Also if the series converges, find the sum to infinity.
Short Answer
Expert verified
The sum of the first n terms of the series is \(S_n = \frac{10(1-(-\frac{1}{2})^n)}{3}\), and the sum to infinity is \(S_{\infty} = \frac{10}{3}\).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the general term#a
For the given series \(5-\frac{5}{2}+\frac{5}{4}-\frac{5}{8}+\cdots+\frac{(-1)^{n}-5}{2^{n-1}}\), we observe that the general term can be described as:
\[a_{n} = \frac{(-1)^{n}-5}{2^{n-1}}\]
02
Test for convergence#a
To test if the series is convergent, we consider the ratio of consecutive terms, denoted by r:
\[r = \frac{a_{n+1}}{a_{n}} = \frac{(-1)^{n+1}-5}{(-1)^n-5} \cdot \frac{2^{n-1}}{2^n}\]
Simplifying this expression, we get:
\[
r = \frac{(-1)^{n+1}-5}{2(-1)^n+10}
\]
Since the absolute value of r is less than 1, i.e., \(|r| = \frac{1}{2}\) (the ratio between consecutive terms), the series converges.
03
Find the sum of the first n terms#a
As we have established that the series converges and can be represented as a geometric series, we can find the sum of the first n terms, denoted by S_n:
\[S_n = \frac{a_1(1-r^n)}{1-r}\]
We have \(a_1 = 5\) and \(r = -\frac{1}{2}\). Substitute these values into the formula:
\[
S_n = \frac{5(1-(-\frac{1}{2})^n)}{1-(-\frac{1}{2})}
\]
Simplify the expression:
\[
S_n = \frac{5(1-(-\frac{1}{2})^n)}{\frac{3}{2}} = \frac{10(1-(-\frac{1}{2})^n)}{3}
\]
So, the sum of the first n terms of the series is:
\[S_n = \frac{10(1-(-\frac{1}{2})^n)}{3}\]
04
Find the sum to infinity, if it exists#a
Since the given series converges, we can find the sum to infinity using the formula:
\[S_{\infty} = \frac{a_1}{1-r}\]
With \(a_1 = 5\) and \(r = -\frac{1}{2}\), we insert the values into the formula:
\[
S_{\infty} = \frac{5}{1-(-\frac{1}{2})} = \frac{5}{\frac{3}{2}}
\]
Which simplifies to:
\[S_{\infty} = \frac{10}{3}\]
Thus, the sum to infinity of the given series is \(\frac{10}{3}\).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Sum of n Terms
Understanding the sum of the first n terms in a sequence is crucial for solving many problems in mathematics. When dealing with a series, particularly geometric ones, we have a formula that governs the sum of its first n terms:
For a geometric series with a common ratio r, and the first term a_1, the sum S_n for the first n terms can be calculated using the formula:
\[S_n = \frac{a_1(1-r^n)}{1-r}\]
In our exercise example, the first term is 5 and the common ratio is \(-\frac{1}{2}\). By substituting these values into the formula, we find a simplified expression to calculate the sum of the first n terms. It's important to note that this formula works specifically for geometric series where the terms are produced by multiplying the previous term by a constant ratio.
For a geometric series with a common ratio r, and the first term a_1, the sum S_n for the first n terms can be calculated using the formula:
\[S_n = \frac{a_1(1-r^n)}{1-r}\]
In our exercise example, the first term is 5 and the common ratio is \(-\frac{1}{2}\). By substituting these values into the formula, we find a simplified expression to calculate the sum of the first n terms. It's important to note that this formula works specifically for geometric series where the terms are produced by multiplying the previous term by a constant ratio.
Geometric Series
A geometric series is a sequence of numbers where each term after the first is found by multiplying the previous term by a fixed, non-zero number called the common ratio (denoted as r).
Characteristic Features
The series has a distinct pattern and can be represented as a, ar, ar^2, ar^3, ..., where a is the first term. Geometric series can converge or diverge depending on the value of r. If \(|r| < 1\), the series converges. In contrast, if \(|r| \geq 1\), the series will diverge. Convergence of a geometric series leads to a finite sum, even as the number of terms grows infinitely large—which brings us to the concept of the sum to infinity.Sum to Infinity
When a geometric series converges, we can calculate the sum to infinity, denoted as ³§³å∞. This is the limit of the sum of the first n terms as n approaches infinity. The formula to calculate the sum to infinity for a geometric series is:
\[S_{\infty} = \frac{a_1}{1-r}\]
In the context of our example, where the common ratio r is \(-\frac{1}{2}\) and the first term a_1 is 5, the sum to infinity is calculated using the given formula. We arrive at a finite number, \(\frac{10}{3}\), signifying the sum of an infinite number of terms in our specific geometric series.
\[S_{\infty} = \frac{a_1}{1-r}\]
In the context of our example, where the common ratio r is \(-\frac{1}{2}\) and the first term a_1 is 5, the sum to infinity is calculated using the given formula. We arrive at a finite number, \(\frac{10}{3}\), signifying the sum of an infinite number of terms in our specific geometric series.
Convergence Test
To determine whether a given geometric series will converge to a finite sum or not, we apply a convergence test. Generally, for a geometric series with a common ratio r, the series will converge if the absolute value of the common ratio is less than 1, that is, \(|r| < 1\).