Chapter 7: Problem 37
Determine the convergence or divergence of the sequence with the given \(n\) th term. If the sequence converges, find its limit. \(a_{n}=\frac{1 \cdot 3 \cdot 5 \cdot \cdots \cdot(2 n-1)}{(2 n)^{n}}\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The sequence diverges.
Step by step solution
01
Identify the nth term and the (n+1)th term
The nth term provided in the exercise is \(a_{n}=\frac{1 \cdot 3 \cdot 5 \cdot \cdots \cdot(2 n-1)}{(2 n)^{n}}\). To find the (n+1)th term, simply replace 'n' with 'n+1' to get \(a_{n+1}=\frac{1 \cdot 3 \cdot 5 \cdot \cdots \cdot(2 n+1-1)}{(2 (n+1))^{n+1}} = \frac{1 \cdot 3 \cdot 5 \cdot \cdots \cdot 2n \cdot 2n+1}{(2n+2)^{n+1}}\).
02
Apply the Ratio Test
Using the Ratio Test to determine the convergence or divergence of the sequence involves dividing the (n+1)th term by the nth term, and taking the limit as n tends to infinity. \(\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{a_{n+1}}{a_{n}} =\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{\frac{1 \cdot 3 \cdot 5 \cdot \cdots \cdot 2n \cdot 2n+1}{(2n+2)^{n+1}}}{\frac{1 \cdot 3 \cdot 5 \cdot \cdots \cdot(2 n-1)}{(2 n)^{n}}} = \lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{(2n+1)(2n)^n}{(2n+2)^{n+1}}\).
03
Simplify the expression
Simplify the expression obtained in Step 2 to render its limit calculation easier. This gives \(\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{(2n+1)}{(2n+2)}\).
04
Calculate the limit
Calculate the limit as n tends to infinity for \(\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{(2n+1)}{(2n+2)}\). As both numerator and denominator tend to infinity, this is an indeterminate form of type \(\frac{\infty}{\infty}\). Dividing both numerator and denominator by n yields \(\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{2+(1/n)}{2+(2/n)}\). Taking the limit as n tends to infinity gives the ratio \(\frac{2}{2} = 1\).
05
Determine convergence or divergence
As the value of the limit (ratio) is 1, which is not less than 1, so according to the Ratio Test, the sequence diverges.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Ratio Test
The Ratio Test is a popular method for checking whether a series converges or diverges. It is especially helpful for series with terms that involve factorials, powers, or combinations thereof. Generally, the test involves:
- Finding the ratio of subsequent terms in the series, typically the (n+1)th term divided by the nth term.
- Taking the limit of this ratio as n approaches infinity.
- Checking the result of this limit:
- If the limit is less than 1, the series converges absolutely.
- If the limit is greater than 1, or infinite, the series diverges.
- If the limit equals 1, the test is inconclusive, and another method may be needed.
Limit Calculation
Limit calculation is a crucial skill in analyzing the convergence of sequences and series. It involves finding the value that a function or sequence approaches as the input approaches some value. In many cases, especially in sequence-related problems, the input approaches infinity.To perform a limit calculation:
- Simplify the expression as much as possible, often by canceling terms or factoring.
- Identify if the expression forms an indeterminate form like \(\frac{0}{0}\) or \(\frac{\infty}{\infty}\).
- If indeterminate, use tools like L'Hôpital's Rule or algebraic manipulation to resolve it.
Indeterminate Forms
Indeterminate forms are expressions that do not directly point to a specific value or conclusion. They occur often in calculus and often indicate the need for further manipulation to find a limit. Common forms include \(\frac{0}{0}\), \(\frac{\infty}{\infty}\), \(0 \times \infty\), and more.
- In these situations, insights may be achieved by algebraic simplification or calculus-based theorems like L'Hôpital's Rule, which involves differentiating the numerator and denominator.
- Understanding these forms is vital in limit calculation processes.
Divergence of Sequences
The divergence of sequences indicates that the terms do not settle towards a single finite value as the sequence progresses to infinity. A sequence that diverges may increase infinitely, decrease without bound, or oscillate between values.Key indicators that a sequence diverges include:
- The terms increase or decrease without approaching a limit.
- Applying tests, like the Ratio Test, provide limits \(> 1\) or otherwise inconclusive results, such as equalling 1, which suggests non-convergence.