Infinite Series: A Synopsis

Famous Series

Geometric Series

• if converges with sum
• if diverges

• for diverges

Harmonic Series

• diverges
• this is a special case of the P-Series for P=1

Alternating Harmonic Series

• converges to ln(1+1) = ln(2) using series for ln(1+x) below.

• converges

where

• converges

• converges

ln (1+x)

• you can arrive at this relation by integrating a Geometric Series in -t term-by-term.

• if x=-1 ( ln(1+(-1)) = ln(0) ) this is the negative of the Harmonic Series which diverges toward -&infty;

arctan (x)

• you can arrive at this relation by integrating a Geometric Series in -t^2 term-by-term.

Useful Inequalities

"Eventually"

for any

(!) Remember this when using the Test for Divergence

Tips

• Often the hardest part of showing convergence or divergence of a series is the indecision: What do I believe it does? After all, you'll have a tough time showing a series converges if it doesn't!
• The limits listed in another section can help a lot with the Test for Divergence. Together with inequalities you can often get an idea of what to try to show. If the individual terms of the series "look like" as then the series "looks like" 1/n and you will want to show it diverges, perhaps even setting up a comparison, or limit comparison with 1/n itself.

-- DickFurnas - 21 Oct 2008
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Topic revision: r2 - 2008-10-22 - DickFurnas

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