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Notes5 2

The document discusses various tests to determine if improper integrals converge or diverge, including the divergence test, p-test, direct comparison test, and limit comparison test. It provides examples of applying each test and discusses how the tests can determine if an improper integral converges or diverges based on comparing the behavior of the integrand to a known convergent or divergent integral.

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Sivakumar Sarma
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99 views

Notes5 2

The document discusses various tests to determine if improper integrals converge or diverge, including the divergence test, p-test, direct comparison test, and limit comparison test. It provides examples of applying each test and discusses how the tests can determine if an improper integral converges or diverges based on comparing the behavior of the integrand to a known convergent or divergent integral.

Uploaded by

Sivakumar Sarma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Math 175 Notes and Learning Goals Lesson 5-2

Convergence/Divergence
• A improper integral is convergent if the limit exists (and is finite).
Z ∞ Z R
f (x)dx = lim f (x)dx < ∞
a R→∞ a

• If an improper integral is not convergent, it is divergent.

• If the tail end of the function does not approach zero, limx→∞ f (x) 6= 0, then the integral cannot
converge and must diverge. This is called the divergence test and is the first thing to check.

• If the tail end of the function approaches zero ‘fast enough’ the integral will converge.

• The p-test gives a rough borderline of what is ‘fast enough.’


Z ∞
dx
1 xp
– If p ≤ 1 then the above integral diverges.
– If p > 1 then the above integral converges.
1
– Thus you must approach zero faster than y = x
to be convergent.
1
– Warning! There is no exact borderline for convergence. Approaching zero faster than x
is
necessary but not sufficient.

• The convergence of an improper integral can be determined by comparing it to a known integral


(even if the exact value of the improper integral cannot be calculated.)

• The direct comparison test determines if an integral is convergent or divergent


R∞ R∞
– If f (x) ≤ g(x) and a g(x)dx converges, then a f (x) converges.
R∞ R∞ 1
Example: x21+x ≤ x12 . Since 1 dx
x 2 converges, 1 x2 +x
also converges.
R∞ R∞
– If f (x) ≥ g(x) and a g(x) diverges, then a f (x) diverges.
2 R∞ R ∞ ln(x2 +1)
Example: ln(xx+1) ≥ x1 . Since 2 dx x
diverges, 2 x
dx also diverges.

• The limit comparison test R ∞says that if fR(x) and g(x) approach zero about the same speed,
∞
then the improper integrals a f (x)dx and a g(x)dx either both converge or both diverge.

3x2 +2x 3x2 3


R ∞ dx R ∞ 3x2 +2x
Example 1: 3
5x +8
≈ 5x 3 = 5x
. Since 1 x
diverges, 1 5x3 +8
dx also diverges.
x+5 x 1
R∞ dx
R ∞ x+5
Example 2: √
x2 +x5
≈ √x5 = x3/2 . Since 1 x3/2 converges, 1 √x2 +x5 also converges.

Note the above approximates are valid for large x.

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