Module 1 : Real Numbers, Functions and Sequences

Lecture 2 : Convergent & Bounded Sequences

[ Section 2.1 : Need to consider sequences ]

Objectives
In this section you will learn the following
The need to consider sequences.
The concept of a sequence.

2.1

Need to consider sequences :

The aim of this lecture is to introduce the concept of a sequence. Sequences arise naturally in various fields. Any iterative
process gives rise to a sequence of observations. A sequence can be thought of as a list of objects written in a definite order.
2.1.1 Example (Finding the area of the unit circle) :

Greek mathematicians (400 B.C.) analyzed this problem by inscribing regular polygons inside the circle. If denotes the area of the
-sided polygon inscribed in the circle, then we get the sequences of numbers

,.....,

Click here to View the Interactive animation : Applet 1.3 (avaliable on WebSite).

2.1.2 Example (Zeno's paradox) :

A man standing in a room can not walk to the wall. In order to do so, he would have to go half the distance, then half the
remaining distance, and then again half of what shall remains. This process can always be continued and can never be ended.

Click here to View the Interactive animation : Applet 1.4 (avaliable on WebSite).
To understand this paradox, let us assume that the man walks with a constant speed. Suppose he takes
minutes, the half of the remaining half in
first half of the distance. The next half will be covered in
on. The time consumed at the

This gives us the sequence

minutes to cover the

minutes, and so

th stage will be

.
, . . . . The paradox is that there are infinite stages and how they can covered in finite time?

The paradox is resolved by proper interpretation of 'infinite'.

Let us observe that in both the examples, we are interested in finding out what happens to the sequence of observations for large
? To analyze this problem, let us make some definitions.

2.1.3 Definition :
A sequence of elements of a set
called its first term,
think of a sequence
with

is an ordered collection :

- its second term , and in general

in

1. For the sequence

2. For the sequence

3. For the sequence

4. For the sequence

as its

, .... ,

. . . of elements of

term. We also write this as

as a function f defined on the set of natural numbers with values in

. Note that a sequence

2.1.4 Examples :

is not the same as the set {

,.. }.

. The element

is

. One can also

, i.e.,

Click here to View the Interactive animation : Applet 1.5 (avaliable on WebSite).

Recap
In this section you have learnt the following
The need to consider sequences arises from practical problems.
The concept of a sequence.

Objectives
In this section you will learn the following
Convergence of a sequence.

The aim of this lecture is to analyze various concepts about sequences: a sequence being bounded, monotone, and convergent.
2.2 Convergent Sequences
Given a sequence

, one is interested to know: what happens to

of the unit circle, we expect that for n sufficiently large,

circle, that is, will

come close to the value

as

becomes large. In the example of the area

will be a 'good enough' representation of

, the area of the unit

, the area of the unit circle when n becomes large? How close? Will it come

as close as we want? Using the concept of absolute value (which gives the notion of distance on
mathematically as follows:

) we can express it

2.2.1 Definition:
A sequence
natural number

The real number

is said to be convergent, if there exists

such that given any real number

, we can find a

such that

is called a limit of

and we write it as

If we consider the geometric visualization of the sequence

as a function,

then saying that the

number

will be the limit of the sequence means that given any horizontal strip, of width

centered at

, all but finitely many

lie in this strip. Intuitively, after some stage all the elements of the sequence are close to

of

convergent sequence lies inside any small neighborhood of

sequence.

. Or a 'tail' of the

. A sequence which is not convergent is called a divergent

2.2.2 Examples:
1. The sequence

is convergent to

. To see this, let

be given. Then

.
Thus,

then

. Now, if we choose

(which is possible by the Archimedian property),

,
.

Hence,

Click here to View the Interactive animation : Applet 1.6 (avaliable on WebSite).
is not convergent.

2. The sequence
Suppose,

. Then given

, there exists

such that

,
,

i.e.,

is not convergent as it outgrows every real number.

which is not true (Archimedian property). In some sense

In fact, if a sequence is convergent, it can not grow arbitrarily, as we shall see in the next section.

3.

Consider the sequence

. Every odd term of the sequence is

do not come closer to a single value

Intuitively, the elements

write it as follows. First suppose

. If

i.e.,

. We expect

then given

,
,

and every even term of the sequence is

to be divergent. We can

, there should exist some

such that

i.e.,

which is not true for every even

. Hence,

is not true. Similarly, we can show that

is

not possible for any

and

Though both sequence

are divergent, they are divergent for different reasons.

2.2.3 Examples:

1. Consider the sequence

. We show that

Since

<

Given

> 0, we will have

So, if we choose

2.

<

, if

such that

Consider the sequence

, then

. Since,

given any

> 0, if we choose a positive integer

such that

, then for every

Hence,

At this stage it is natural to ask the question: Can a convergent sequence have two different limits? We show in the next
theorem that this is not possible.
proof:
2.2.4 Theorem:
Limit a sequence is unique.
Click here to View the Interactive animation : Applet 1.7 (avaliable on WebSite).

Suppose

Take

as well as

with

, say

. Then by definition, there exists

such that

and

Thus, for

which is a contradiction. Hence,

2.2.5 Note:
The technique used in the proof of the theorem is called the proof by contradiction.
For Quiz reder the WebSite.

Practice Exercises 2.2: Convergent Sequences

1.

Using definition prove the following:

.

2.

Show that the following sequences are not convergent:

.

Recap
In this section you have learnt the following
How to formulate and analyse the concept of convergence of a sequence.

Objectives
In this section you will learn the following
The concept of a bounded sequence.

2.3 Bounded Sequences

We saw that sequence

is not convergent as its terms keep growing bigger and bigger. This motivates our next definition.

2.3.1 Definition:

1.

Let
We say

be a sequence.
is bounded above if there is some real number

such that

Sequence bounded above by

2.

We say

is bounded below if there exists a real number

such that

Sequence bounded below by

3.

We say

is bounded if it is both bounded above and below.

Bounded Sequence

2.3.2 Examples:

. Since for every

1. Consider the sequence

2. Consider the sequence

, the sequence is bounded.

. It is easy to show, using induction that

for all large

Hence,

. Hence

for all

is not bounded above.

Motivated by our remarks at the end of section 1.4, we have the following.

2.3.3 Theorem:
is convergent then it is bounded

If

Let

. Then given

That means all

Hence,

, say

's, accept

= 1, there exists

lie in between

- 1 and

such that

+ 1. Thus, if we define

is bounded.

2.3.4 Example:
. We showed in example 2.2.2(iii) that this sequence in not convergent. Clearly, it is a

Consider the sequence

bounded sequence as

for every n .

However, it not always easy to guess whether a sequence is convergent or not and even if it is convergent, what is its limit. We
describe in next section in next section some theorems which helps us to compute limits of sequences.
For Quiz refer the WebSite.

Practice Exercises 2.3: Bounded Sequences

1. Let

and

be bounded sequences. Prove that

and

are also bounded

sequences. What can you say about the sequence

2. Give examples to show that if

then

3. Let

and

are bounded sequences,

for every

need not be a bounded sequence.

be a bounded function and

be any sequence. Is

your claim.

Recap
In this section you have learnt the following
A necessary condition for a sequence to be convergent is that it should be bounded.

a bounded sequence? Justify