Student Study Session

Convergence of Series (BC only)

Students should be able to:
 Recognize various types of numerical series and efficiently apply the appropriate test.
 Determine the sum of an infinite geometric series and be able to use that sum to create a power series
and determine its interval of convergence.
 Use substitution, differentiation, and integration to create series related to given series.
 Perform mathematical manipulations with series including (but not limited to) multiplication and
division.
 Use the Ratio Test to determine radius or open interval of convergence of power series.
 Use the other tests to check convergence at the endpoints.

Note: Telescoping Series Test questions can be tested using the Alternating Series Test conditions. On
recent AP exams, the Telescoping Series Test is not listed as an answer choice, therefore it has been
omitted in the chart. Since the harmonic series shows up frequently, it is recommended that students
know this special case of the p-Series Test and that it is acceptable to cite the Harmonic Series Test as the
justification for divergence when it occurs on the AP exam.

Copyright © 2014 National Math + Science Initiative®, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org
 Student Study Session

Copyright © 2014 National Math + Science Initiative®, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org
 Convergence of Series
Student Study Session
Multiple Choice

1. (calculator not allowed)

Which of the following series converge?

1
I.  n2
n 1

1
II. n
n 1

(1) n
III.  n
n 1

(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) I and II only
(D) I and III only
(E) I, II, and III

2. (calculator not allowed)

Which of the following series are convergent?
1 1 1
I. 1  2  2  . . .  2  . . .
2 3 n
1 1 1
II. 1    . . .   . . .
2 3 n
1 1  1n1
III. 1   2  . . .  n 1  . . .
3 3 3

(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) I and III only
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and I

3. (calculator not allowed)


x  1n
What are all values of x for which the series  n
converges?
n 1

(A)  1  x  1
(B)  1  x  1
(C) 0  x  2
(D) 0  x  2
(E) 0  x  2

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 Convergence of Series
Student Study Session
4. (calculator not allowed)
Which of the following series diverge?

2
I.  k 2 1
k 3
 k
6
II.   
k 1  7 

 1k
III.  k
k 2

(A) None
(B) II only
(C) III only
(D) I and III only
(E) II and III only

5. (calculator not allowed)


x  1n
The interval of convergence of  3n
is
n0

(A)  3  x  3
(B)  3  x  3
(C) 2  x  4
(D)  2  x  4
(E) 0  x  2

6. (calculator not allowed)

3 9 27 81
The sum of the infinite geometric series     . . . is
2 16 128 1,024

(A) 1.60
(B) 2.35
(C) 2.40
(D) 2.45
(E) 2.50

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 Convergence of Series
Student Study Session
7. (calculator not allowed)

x  2n
What are all values of x for which the series  n 3n
converges?
n 1

(A) 3 x  3
(B) 3 x  3
(C) 1  x  5
(D) 1  x  5
(E) 1  x  5

8. (calculator not allowed)

Which of the following series converge?

n
I.  n2
n 1

cosn 
II.  n
n 1

1
III. n
n 1

(A) None
(B) II only
(C) III only
(D) I and II only
(E) I and III only
9. (calculator not allowed)
b dx
If lim 
b 1 x p
is finite, then which of the following must be true?


1
(A)  np converges
n 1

1
(B)  np diverges
n 1

1
(C)  n p 2 converges
n 1

1
(D)  n p 1 converges
n 1

1
(E)  n p 1 diverges
n 1

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 Convergence of Series
Student Study Session
10. (calculator not allowed)

2 n 1
What is the value of  3n
?
n 1

(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 4
(D) 6
(E) The series diverges

11. (calculator not allowed) (2003 BC22)


n
What are all values of p for which the infinite series  n p  1 converges?
n 1

(A) p0
(B) p 1
(C) p 1
(D) p2
(E) p2

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 Convergence of Series
Student Study Session
12. (calculator not allowed)

Which of the following series diverge?

 n
 sin 2 
I.  
 


n 0

1
II. 3n
n 1
  en 
III.   
 en 1
n 1 

(A) III only

(B) I and II only
(C) I and III only
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III

13. (calculator not allowed)


en
Consider the series  . If the ratio test is applied to the series, which of the following inequalities
n 1 n !
results, implying that the series converges?

e
(A) lim 1
n  n!
n!
(B) lim  1
n  e

n 1
(C) lim 1
n  e
e
(D) lim 1
n  n  1

e
(E) lim 1
n  ( n  1)!

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 Convergence of Series
Student Study Session

14. (calculator not allowed)

Which of the following series converges for all real numbers x ?


xn
(A) 
n 1 n

xn
(B) 
n 1 n
2


xn
(C) n 1 n

e xn n
(D) 
n 1 n !

n! xn
(E) 
n 1 e
n

15. (calculator not allowed)

 n
 2 
What are all values of x for which the series   2  converges?
n 1  x  1 

(A) 1  x  1
(B) x  1 only
(C) x  1 only
(D) x  1 and x  1 only
(E) x  1 and x  1

16. (calculator allowed)


 1kn 
k
n
For what integer k, k  1 , will both  n
and    converge?
4
n 1 n 1  

(A) 6
(B) 5
(C) 4
(D) 3
(E) 2

17. (calculator allowed)


x  2n
What are all values of x for which the series  n
converges?
n 1
(A)  3  x  1
(B)  3  x  1
(C)  3  x  1
(D) 1  x  1
(E) 1  x  1
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 Convergence of Series
Student Study Session
Free Response

18. (calculator not allowed)

A function f is defined by
1 2 3 n 1
 2 x  3 x 2  . . .  n 1 x n  . . .
f ( x) 
3 3 3 3
for all x in the interval of convergence of the given power series.

(a) Find the interval of convergence for this power series. Show the work that leads to your answer.

1
f ( x) 
(b) Find lim 3.
x 0 x

(c) Write the first three nonzero terms and the general term for an infinite series that represents
1
0 f ( x) dx .

(d) Find the sum of the series determined in part (c).

Copyright © 2014 National Math + Science Initiative®, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org
 Convergence of Series
Student Study Session
19. (calculator not allowed)

The Maclaurin series for the function f is given by


2 x n 1  2 x  4 x 2  8x 3  16 x 4  . . .  2 x n 1  . . .
f ( x)   n 1 2 3 4 n 1
n0
on its interval of convergence.

(a) Find the interval of convergence for the Maclaurin series for f. Justify your answer.

(b) Find the first four terms and the general term for the Maclaurin series for f (x ) .

 1
(c) Use the Maclaurin series you found in part (b) to find the value of f    .
 3

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 Convergence of Series
Student Study Session
20. (calculator not allowed)

The function f is defined by the power series

x 2 x 2 3x 3
f ( x)     ... 
 1n nx n
 ...
2 3 4 n 1
for all real numbers x for which the series converges. The function g is defined by the power series
 1 x n
n
x x 2 x3
g ( x)  1     . . .   ...
2! 4! 6!  2n  !
for all real numbers x for which the series converges.

(a) Find the interval of convergence of the power series for f. Justify your answer.

(b) The graph of y  f ( x )  g ( x ) passes through the point 0,  1 . Find y ( 0 ) and y ( 0 ) .
Determine whether y has a relative minimum, a relative maximum, or neither at x  0 . Give a
reason for your answer

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 Convergence of Series
Student Study Session
21. (calculator not allowed)
2x
Let f be the function given by f ( x )  .
1  x2

(a) Write the first four nonzero terms and the general term of the Taylor series for f about x  0 .

(b) Does the series found in part (a), when evaluated at x  1 , converge to f (1) ? Explain why or
why not.

(c) 
The derivative of ln 1  x 2 is  2x
. Write the first four nonzero terms of the Taylor series
1 x2
 
for ln 1  x 2 about x  0 .

5 1
(d) Use the series found in part (c) to find a rational number A such that A  ln   .
 4  100
Justify your answer.

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 Convergence of Series
Student Study Session
22. (calculator not allowed)


 1  xn
The Maclaurin series for ln   is
1  x 
 n
with interval of convergence  1  x  1 .
n 1

 1 
(a) Find the Maclaurin series for ln  and determine the interval of convergence.
 1  3x 


 1n
(b Find the value of  n
.
n 1


 1n 
1
(c) Give a value of p such that  np
converges, but  n2p diverges. Give reasons why your
n 1 n 1
value of p is correct.

 
1 1
(d) Give a value of p such that np diverges, but  n2p converges. Give reasons why your
n 1 n 1
value of p is correct.

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 Convergence of Series
Student Study Session
23. (calculator not allowed)


(1)n (2x)n
The Maclaurin series for the function f is given by f (x)   on its interval of
n2 n 1
convergence.

(a) Find the interval of convergence for the Macluarin series of f. Justify your answer.

4x 2
(b) Show that y  f ( x ) is a solution to the differential equation xy   y  for x  R , where
1  2x
R is the radius of convergence from part (a).

Copyright © 2014 National Math + Science Initiative®, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org