2021-2022 Spring Term

MATH 104R Calculus for Engineering II Recitation

Textbook: Thomas’ Calculus, Early Transcendentals, 14th edition, 2019

EXERCISES
Section 9.1 Sequences

page 1, MATH 104R Spring 2022

Summary

An infinite sequence is an infinite list of numbers: a1 , a2 , · · · , an , · · ·

1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, · · · , ⇒ an = 1 ⇒ lim an = 1 ⇒ converges,
n→∞
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, · · · , ⇒ an = n ⇒ lim an = ∞ ⇒ diverges.
n→∞
Some special sequences: As n → ∞
ln n
→ 0, n1/n → 1, x 1/n → 1 (x > 0),
n
x
n xn
x n → 0 (|x| < 1), 1+ → e x (any x), lim = 0 (any x)
n n→∞ n!

The Sandwich Theorem:

If an ≤ bn ≤ cn and if
limn→∞ an = limn→∞ cn = L,
then limn→∞ bn = L

page 2, MATH 104R Spring 2022

  
Exercise 40. Does the sequence whose nth term is an = (−1)n 1 − n1

converge? If so, find limn→∞ an .

Difference Rule: If limn→∞ an = A and limn→∞ bn = B, then

lim (an − bn ) = A − B
n→∞

Note that  1 1
lim 1− = 1 − lim =1−0=1
n→∞ n n→∞ n

and
lim (−1)n does not exist.
n→∞

So
 1
lim an = lim (−1)n 1 − does not exist
n→∞ n→∞ n

⇒ {an } diverges.

page 3, MATH 104R Spring 2022

 sin2 n
Exercise 50. Does the sequence whose nth term is an = 2n converge? If
so, find limn→∞ an .

Since
−1 ≤ sin n ≤ 1 and 0 ≤ sin2 n ≤ 1 for all n,
we have
sin2 n 1 1
0≤ ≤ n or 0 ≤ an ≤ for all n.
2n 2 2n
Note that
1 1
lim =0 and 0 ≤ lim an ≤ lim =0
n→∞ 2n n→∞ n→∞ 2n

By the Sandwich Theorem for sequences, {an } converges to 0:

lim an = 0
n→∞

page 4, MATH 104R Spring 2022

 3n
Exercise 52. Does the sequence whose nth term is an = n3 converge? If so,
find limn→∞ an .

∞
The limit leads to the indeterminate form ∞ and we use L’Hôpital’s Rule.
Recall that
d x d x
a = ax ln a, a > 0 =⇒ 3 = 3x ln 3
dx dx

Then
3n  ∞  3n ln 3  ∞ 
lim an = lim = lim
n→∞ n→∞ n3 ∞ n→∞ 3n2 ∞

3n (ln 3)2  ∞  3n (ln 3)3

= lim = lim
n→∞ 6n ∞ n→∞ 6

(ln 3)3 (ln 3)3

= · lim 3n = · ∞ = ∞ ⇒ {an } diverges
6 n→∞ 6

page 5, MATH 104R Spring 2022

Note:
n represents a positive integer while x represents a continuous real
variable.

Normally, we cannot differentiate with respect n.

Theorem: Suppose that f (x) is a function defined for all x ≥ 1 and that an
is a sequence of real numbers such that an = f (n) for n ≥ 1. Then

lim an = L whenever lim f (x) = L

n→∞ x→∞

When we use L’Hôpital’s Rule to find the limit of a sequence, we may treat
n as a continuous real variable and differentiate directly with respect to n.

page 6, MATH 104R Spring 2022

 √
Exercise 59. Does the sequence whose nth term is an = n
10n converge? If
so, find limn→∞ an .

Product Rule: If limn→∞ an = A and limn→∞ bn = B, then

lim (an · bn ) = A · B
n→∞

Recall that

lim n1/n = 1, lim x 1/n = 1 (x > 0)

n→∞ n→∞

By direct calculation

1/n  
lim an = lim 10n = lim 101/n · n1/n
n→∞ n→∞ n→∞
   
= lim 101/n · lim n1/n
n→∞ n→∞

= 1 · 1 = 1 ⇒ {an } converges.

page 7, MATH 104R Spring 2022

Exercise 69. Does the sequence whose nth term is an = n!
106n converge? If
so, find limn→∞ an .

Quotient Rule: If limn→∞ an = A and limn→∞ bn = B, then

an A
lim = if B ̸= 0
n→∞ bn B

Recall that
xn
lim =0 (any x)
n→∞ n!

By direct calculation
n! 1
lim an = lim 6n
= lim 106n
n→∞ n→∞ 10 n→∞
n!
1 1
=
n = = ∞ ⇒ {an } diverges.
106 0
limn→∞ n!

page 8, MATH 104R Spring 2022

 e −2n −2e −3n
Exercise 75. Does the sequence whose nth term is an = e −2n −e −n

converge? If so, find limn→∞ an .

By direct calculation

e −2n · 1 − 2e −n


e −2n − 2e −3n
lim an = lim = lim −2n
n→∞ e −2n − e −n


n→∞ n→∞ e · 1 − e +n

e −2n
H · 1 − 2e −n
H

H
= lim H−2n

n→∞ e H · 1 − e n
H
limn→∞ (1 − 2e −n


1 − 2 limn→∞ e −n
=
=
limn→∞ 1 − e n 1 − limn→∞ e n
1−0
= = 0 ⇒ {an } converges.
1−∞

page 9, MATH 104R Spring 2022

  n
Exercise 82. Does the sequence whose nth term is an = 1 − 1
n2

converge? If so, find limn→∞ an .

The limit leads to the indeterminate form 1∞ . To change the indeterminate

form 1∞ to 0 · ∞, take the natural logarithm of an :
 1 n  1
ln an = ln 1 − 2 = n · ln 1 − 2 , ∞·0
n n
Then
 
ln 1 − n12 0
lim ln an = lim 1
n→∞ n→∞
n
0
2/n3
2
1− 12 n3 −n n2C
= lim −1
n
= lim = −2 · lim
n→∞ n→∞ −1 n→∞ n · (n2 − 1)
n2 n2 A
n ∞ 1
= −2 · lim = −2 · lim = −2 · 0 = 0
n→∞ n2 − 1 ∞ n→∞ 2n

lim an = e 0 = 1 ⇒ {an } converges

n→∞

page 10, MATH 104R Spring 2022

 √
Exercise 89. Does the sequence whose nth term is an = n sin √1n
converge? If so, find limn→∞ an .

The limit leads to the indeterminate form ∞ · 0

0
We change the indeterminate form ∞ · 0 to 0

1
√ 1  sin √n 0
lim an = lim n sin √ = lim
n→∞ n→∞ n n→∞ √1 0
n

and then we use L’Hôpital’s rule:

H 
H 1
− cos √1n
3/2
2n H
H 1
lim an = lim H
1
= lim cos √
n→∞ n→∞ − 2n
H H3/2 n→∞ n
H
 1 
= cos lim √ = cos 0 = 1 ⇒ {an } converges
n→∞ n

page 11, MATH 104R Spring 2022

Exercise 92. Does the sequence whose nth term is an = √1
n
tan−1 n
converge? If so, find limn→∞ an .

Recall that

By direct calculation
 1 
lim an = lim √ tan−1 n
n→∞ n→∞ n
 1   
= lim √ · lim tan−1 n
n→∞ n n→∞
  π
= 0 · = 0 ⇒ {an } converges.
2

page 12, MATH 104R Spring 2022

 (ln n)5
Exercise 96. Does the sequence whose nth term is an = √
n
converge? If
so, find limn→∞ an .

∞
The limit leads to the indeterminate form ∞.

We use L’Hôpital’s rule

1
(ln n)5 5(ln n)4 · n 10(ln n)4 ∞
lim an = lim √ = lim 1 = lim √ .
n→∞ n→∞ n n→∞ √
2 n
n→∞ n ∞

We repeatedly use L’Hôpital’s rule:

1
40(ln n)3 · n 80(ln n)3 480(ln n)2
lim an = lim 1 = lim √ = lim √
n→∞ n→∞ √
2 n
n→∞ n n→∞ n
1920(ln n) 3840
= lim √ = lim √ = 0 ⇒ {an } converges.
n→∞ n n→∞ n

page 13, MATH 104R Spring 2022