Finding if a series converges or diverges

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In summary, to determine if a series converges or diverges, various methods such as the comparison test, ratio test, integral test, or the divergence test can be used. Absolute convergence refers to a series that always converges, while conditional convergence only occurs when a series converges in a specific order. A series can converge for some values of x and diverge for others, known as conditional convergence. The limit comparison test can be used to compare a series to a known convergent series, and determine if it will converge or diverge. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts or tricks for determining convergence or divergence, and each series must be analyzed using established tests. With practice, one may become more efficient in using these tests.
  • #1
tmt1
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I have this series

$$\sum_{n = 1}^{\infty} \frac{\ln\left({n + 4}\right)}{{n}^{\frac{5}{2}}}$$

which I need to find whether it converges or diverges.

I can use the limit comparison test and set $a_n = \frac{\ln\left({n + 4}\right)}{{n}^{\frac{5}{2}}}$ and $b_n = \frac{1}{{n}^{\frac{5}{2}}}$

Thus I need to find the limit of $ \frac{{n}^{\frac{5}{2}} \ln\left({n + 4}\right)}{{n}^{\frac{5}{2}}}$ which simplifies to $\ln\left({n + 4}\right)$ which evaluates to $\infty$.

The limit or $L$ is both equal to infinity and greater than 0.

Also, $ \sum_{}^{} b_n$ converges since $p > 1$

but I'm not sure how to apply the rules of the comparison test to these results.
 
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  • #2
tmt said:
I have this series

$$\sum_{n = 1}^{\infty} \frac{\ln\left({n + 4}\right)}{{n}^{\frac{5}{2}}}$$

which I need to find whether it converges or diverges.

I can use the limit comparison test and set $a_n = \frac{\ln\left({n + 4}\right)}{{n}^{\frac{5}{2}}}$ and $b_n = \frac{1}{{n}^{\frac{5}{2}}}$

Thus I need to find the limit of $ \frac{{n}^{\frac{5}{2}} \ln\left({n + 4}\right)}{{n}^{\frac{5}{2}}}$ which simplifies to $\ln\left({n + 4}\right)$ which evaluates to $\infty$.

The limit or $L$ is both equal to infinity and greater than 0.

Also, $ \sum_{}^{} b_n$ converges since $p > 1$

but I'm not sure how to apply the rules of the comparison test to these results.

I would say $\displaystyle \begin{align*} n \geq 2 \end{align*}$ we have $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \ln{ \left( n + 4 \right) } < n \end{align*}$, thus

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sum_{n = 2}^{\infty} \frac{\ln{ \left( n + 4 \right) }}{n^{\frac{5}{2}}} &< \sum_{n = 2}^{\infty} \frac{n}{n^{\frac{5}{2}}} \\ &= \sum_{n = 2}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{\frac{3}{2}}} \end{align*}$

Notice that $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sum_{n = 2}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{\frac{3}{2}}} \end{align*}$ is a convergent p-series, so that means $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sum_{n = 2}^{\infty} \frac{\ln{ \left( n + 4 \right) }}{n^{\frac{5}{2}}} \end{align*}$ is convergent by comparison. Adding any finite number of terms to a convergent infinite series will still be convergent, thus $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sum_{n = 1}^{\infty} \frac{\ln{ \left( n + 4 \right) }}{n^{\frac{5}{2}}} \end{align*}$ is also convergent.
 
  • #3
Prove It said:
I would say $\displaystyle \begin{align*} n \geq 2 \end{align*}$ we have $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \ln{ \left( n + 4 \right) } < n \end{align*}$, thus

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sum_{n = 2}^{\infty} \frac{\ln{ \left( n + 4 \right) }}{n^{\frac{5}{2}}} &< \sum_{n = 2}^{\infty} \frac{n}{n^{\frac{5}{2}}} \\ &= \sum_{n = 2}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{\frac{3}{2}}} \end{align*}$

Notice that $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sum_{n = 2}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{\frac{3}{2}}} \end{align*}$ is a convergent p-series, so that means $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sum_{n = 2}^{\infty} \frac{\ln{ \left( n + 4 \right) }}{n^{\frac{5}{2}}} \end{align*}$ is convergent by comparison. Adding any finite number of terms to a convergent infinite series will still be convergent, thus $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sum_{n = 1}^{\infty} \frac{\ln{ \left( n + 4 \right) }}{n^{\frac{5}{2}}} \end{align*}$ is also convergent.

How do we show that $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \ln{ \left( n + 4 \right) } < n \end{align*}$ for $x \geq 2$?
 
  • #4
tmt said:
How do we show that $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \ln{ \left( n + 4 \right) } < n \end{align*}$ for $x \geq 2$?

Define $\displaystyle \begin{align*} f(x) = \ln{(x+4)} \end{align*}$ and $\displaystyle \begin{align*} g(x) = x \end{align*}$.

Notice that $\displaystyle \begin{align*} f(2) = \ln{(6)} \approx 1.792 \end{align*}$ and $\displaystyle \begin{align*} g(2) = 2 \end{align*}$. So $\displaystyle \begin{align*} f(2) < g(2) \end{align*}$.

Now we need to check that $\displaystyle \begin{align*} f(x) \end{align*}$ can never overtake $\displaystyle \begin{align*} g(x) \end{align*}$. To do this, we can check their derivatives.

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} f'(x) = \frac{1}{x + 4} \end{align*}$, so $\displaystyle \begin{align*} f'(2) = \frac{1}{6} \end{align*}$ and gets smaller as x gets larger. Meanwhile $\displaystyle \begin{align*} g'(x) = 1 \end{align*}$. So for all $\displaystyle \begin{align*} x \geq 2 \end{align*}$ we have $\displaystyle \begin{align*} 0 < f'(x) < g'(x) \end{align*}$. Since g(x) always grows at a faster rate than f(x), there is no way that f(x) can possibly overtake g(x). So that means $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \ln{(x + 4)} < x \end{align*}$ for all $\displaystyle \begin{align*} x \geq 2 \end{align*}$.
 
  • #5
A standard approach is to set

$$F(x) = \ln(x+4)-x $$

We have

$$F'(x) = \frac{1}{x+4}-1 = \frac{-3-x}{x+4}$$

The derivative(slope) is clearly negative for $x\geq 2$ so $F$ is a decreasing function. Now since $F(2)<0$ we must have $F(x)<0, x\geq 2$. So $\ln(x+4)-x<0$ which implies that $\ln(x+4)<x$.
 

FAQ: Finding if a series converges or diverges

How do I determine if a series converges or diverges?

To determine if a series converges or diverges, you can use various methods such as the comparison test, ratio test, integral test, or the divergence test. These tests involve analyzing the behavior of the series and comparing it to known convergent or divergent series.

What is the difference between absolute and conditional convergence?

Absolute convergence refers to a series that converges regardless of the order in which its terms are added. On the other hand, conditional convergence only occurs when a series converges when its terms are added in a specific order. This means that rearranging the terms of a conditionally convergent series can result in a different sum.

Can a series converge for some values of x and diverge for others?

Yes, a series can converge for some values of x and diverge for others. This is known as conditional convergence and is common in series involving trigonometric functions.

How can I use the limit comparison test to determine convergence or divergence?

The limit comparison test is used to compare a given series to a known convergent series. By taking the limit of the ratio of the terms of both series, you can determine if the given series behaves similarly to the known convergent series. If the limit is a non-zero, finite number, then the given series converges. If the limit is zero or infinite, then the given series diverges.

Are there any shortcuts or tricks for determining convergence or divergence?

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts or tricks for determining convergence or divergence. Each series must be analyzed using one of the established tests to determine its behavior. However, with practice, you may become more familiar with the tests and can use them more efficiently.

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