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If \(\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} a_{n}\) is a convergent series of nonnegative numbers, can anything be said about \(\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\left(a_{n} / n\right) ?\) Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The series \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{a_{n}}{n} \) converges.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Problem

We are given a convergent series \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} a_{n} \) with nonnegative terms, and we need to investigate the convergence of the series \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{a_{n}}{n} \). The key here is that the terms \( a_n \) are nonnegative, and we want to see how the denominator \( n \) affects the convergence.
02

Convergence Implication by Comparison

Given that \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} a_{n} \) converges, we know that the terms \( a_n \) must get small enough quickly enough for the series to converge. If the terms are nonnegative and a series converges, then for large \( n \), \( a_n \to 0 \). In \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{a_n}{n} \), the terms are smaller than those in \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} a_n \) by a factor of \( n \).
03

Application of the Limit Comparison Test

Consider using the Limit Comparison Test with the convergent series \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} a_{n} \) and the new series \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{a_{n}}{n} \). For large \( n \), test whether \( \frac{a_{n}/n}{a_{n}} = \frac{1}{n} \to 0 \), indicating that the terms in \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{a_{n}}{n} \) are significantly smaller than those in your reference series \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} a_{n} \).
04

Implication of Non-Increasing Sequence

The series \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{a_n}{n} \) involves terms \( \frac{a_n}{n} \) that decrease more rapidly than just \( a_n \) due to the division by \( n \). Thus, \( \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{a_{n}}{n} \) also converges since the terms become even smaller and the original series already converges.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Limit Comparison Test
The Limit Comparison Test is a valuable tool in determining the convergence of a series. It allows us to compare a given series to another series whose convergence is already known.
  • If you have two series, say \( \sum a_n \) and \( \sum b_n \), the Limit Comparison Test states that if \( \lim_{{n \to \infty}} \frac{a_n}{b_n} = c \), where \( 0 < c < \infty \), then either both series converge or both diverge.
  • This test is particularly useful when evaluating the series \( \sum \frac{a_n}{n} \) when we know \( \sum a_n \) converges. We compare it to \( \sum \frac{1}{n} \), a well-known divergent series.
  • If \( \frac{a_n}{b_n} \) becomes significantly smaller than 1 as \( n \to \infty \), it suggests that \( \sum \frac{a_n}{n} \) converges more easily than \( \sum a_n \).
By using the Limit Comparison Test with \( b_n = a_n \) and considering the limit \( \lim_{{n \to \infty}} \frac{a_n/n}{a_n} = \frac{1}{n} \to 0 \), it indicates that \( \sum \frac{a_n}{n} \) has terms that become negligible quickly.
Convergent Series
A convergent series is a sequence of numbers that sum up to a finite value as the number of terms grows to infinity.
  • A series \( \sum a_n \) converges if the sequence of partial sums \( S_n = a_1 + a_2 + ... + a_n \) approaches a finite limit as \( n \) becomes very large.
  • For a series to be convergent, it is crucial that the terms \( a_n \) decrease towards zero as \( n \) increases.
  • Not every series with terms going to zero is convergent. The famous harmonic series \( \sum \frac{1}{n} \) is a classic example of divergence despite the terms tending closer to zero.
In the context of this exercise, knowing \( \sum a_n \) converges means that the individual terms \( a_n \) shrink to zero sufficiently rapidly. This rapid decrease aids in asserting the behavior of other series derived from \( a_n \), such as \( \sum \frac{a_n}{n} \).
Nonnegative Terms
Nonnegative terms in a series imply that each term is zero or positive. This property simplifies the study of the series' convergence.
  • Nonnegative terms ensure that the series \( \sum a_n \) is monotonically increasing, which simplifies the analysis of convergence.
  • When terms are nonnegative, partial sums consistently grow or remain the same, providing a clearer path to deducing whether the series converges or diverges.
  • For a convergent series with nonnegative terms, the partial sums do not oscillate and always have a definite upper bound.
The nonnegativity in the terms\( a_n \) guarantees that what applies to \( \sum a_n \) in terms of convergence can be manipulated further to understand the effects of dividing each term by \( n \). This manipulation helps prove that \( \sum \frac{a_n}{n} \) will also likely converge under the given conditions.

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