Lecture – 9 (17)

Sequeeze Theorem : Suppose ( x n ) , ( y n ) and ( z n ) are sequences of real numbers such that

for all n , xn  yn  z n and lim ( x n ) = lim ( z n ) , then

lim ( x n ) = lim ( y n ) = lim ( z n ) .

Examples ( Using Sequeeze Theorem )

 Sin n 
(1) lim   = 0
 n 

1 Sin n 1
Solution : Since −   , for all n 
n n n

 1  1
and  −  and   both converge to ‘ 0 ’, therefore by Squeeze Theorem
 n  n
 Sin n 
lim   = 0.
 n 

 1 
(2) lim  = 0
 n n 
 

1 1 1
Solution : Since −   , for all n 
n n n n

 1  1
and  −  and   both converge to ‘ 0 ’, therefore by Squeeze Theorem
 n  n
 1 
lim  = 0.
 n n 
 
 (18)

(
(3) lim n1/ n
2

)=1
Solution : Since

1  n 1/ n  n 1/ n for all n  ( n  nn , for all n  )

2
,

and (1) and ( n ) both converge to ‘ 1 ’, therefore by Squeeze Theorem

1/ n
(
lim n1/ n
2

) = 1.
Some Important Limits :

( 1 ) For 0 < b < 1 , then lim (b ) n

= 0

Proof :  > 0 is given. To find K , we first note that

bn − 0   if and only if bn  

ln 
And bn    n ln b  ln   n 
ln b

ln 
Thus if we take K  , then bn − 0   for all n  K
ln b

Therefore , we assert that the sequence ( b n ) converges to ‘ 0 ’.

ln 0.01
( For example if b = 0. 8 ,  = 0.01 , then K =  20.6377 > 21 is required ) .
ln 0.8

(2) lim ( n 1/ n ) =1

1 1
Proof : Let a n : = n − 1 n
i. e ; n = 1 + an
n
i. e ; n = (1 + a n ) n , for all n  .

Then by algebra of limit theorem, it suffices to prove that lim ( a n ) = 0 . Now we observe that
1
a n  0 , for all n  because n  1 , for all n  1. .
n
 (19)

Therefore by Binomial Theorem we have

1 1
n = (1 + a n ) n = 1 + n a n + n ( n − 1) a 2n + . . .  1 + n ( n − 1) a 2n
2 2

1
 n −1  n ( n − 1) a 2n
2

2
  a 2n
n

1
 2 2
    an , for n  1
 n

1 1
 2 2  2 2
Hence 0  a n    and   → 0
n  n

Therefore by Squeeze Theorem lim ( a n ) = 0 . Thus lim ( n 1/ n ) = 1.

(3) For c  0 , lim (c ) 1/ n

=1

Proof : Case – 1 ( c  1) Let

1 1
an := c n − 1 i. e ; c n = 1 + an i. e ; c = (1 + a n ) n , for all n  .

Then by algebra of limit theorem, it suffices to prove that lim ( a n ) = 0 .

1
Now we observe that a n  0 , for all n  because c n  1 , for all n  1.

Therefore by Binomial Theorem we have

1
c = (1 + a n ) n = 1 + n a n + n ( n − 1) a 2n + . . .  1 + n a n
2
 (20)

c −1
 c − 1  n an   an
n

c −1 c −1
Hence 0  an  and → 0
n n

Therefore by Squeeze Theorem lim ( a n ) = 0 . Thus lim ( c 1/ n ) = 1.

Case – 2 ( c = 1)

Then lim ( c 1/ n ) = lim (1) = 1 .

Case – 3 (0  c  1)

1/ n
1 1 1
Then  1 , so using Case – 1 we have =   → 1.
c c 1/ n c

Hence by Algebra of Limit Theorem lim ( c 1/ n ) 1

= = 1.
1

Theorem : ( Ratio Test For Sequences )

 x n +1 
Let ( xn ) be a sequence with xn  0 , for all n  and such that L = lim  
 xn 
 
exists. Then
(a) If L < 1 , then ( xn ) converges and lim ( xn ) = 0 .

(b) If L > 1 , then ( xn ) is not bounded and hence is not convergent .

(c) If L = 1 , then no general conclusion can be draw . That is ( xn ) may or may not be

convergent . Examples :
 x n +1 
(1) Consider ( x n ) = ( − 1), which converges to ‘1’ and L = lim 
 xn
 = lim (1) = 1

 
 x n +1   n + 1
(2) Consider ( x n ) = ( n ) , which is a divergent and L = lim   = lim   = 1.
 xn   n 
 
 (21)

Theorem : ( Root Test For Convergence )

Let ( xn ) be a sequence of positive real numbers such that L = lim ( x1/n n ) exists . Then

(a) If L < 1 , then ( xn ) converges and lim ( xn ) = 0 .

(b) If L > 1 , then ( xn ) is not bounded and hence is not convergent .

(c) If L = 1 , then no general conclusion can be draw . That is ( xn ) may or may not be

convergent . Examples :
(1) Consider ( xn ) = (1) , which converges to ‘1’ and L = lim ( x1/n n ) = lim ( 11/ n ) = 1

(2) Consider ( x n ) = ( n ) , which is a divergent and L = lim x1/n n = lim n1/ n ( ) ( ) = 1.

Exercises
(1) Using Algebra of Limits Theorem find the limits of following sequences :

 ( n / 2) + log n 
(i) ( x n ) = 
 3n + 4 n  (ii) (
( y n ) = ln n + 1 − 1/ 2 ln n )
 

(iii) ( z n ) = ((3 n )
1/ 2 n

) (iv) ( wn ) = ( 4n2 + n − 2n )
(2) Use the Squeeze Theorem establish the following limits.

 ( −1) n 
(i) lim  2
n +2 
 = 0 (ii) lim ( ( n! ) ) = 1
1/ n 2

 Cos n + Sin n 
(iii) lim ( ( 2 n + 3 n )1/ n ) = 3 (iv) lim   = 0
 n2 

(3) Discuss the convergence or divergence of the following sequences ( Use Ratio Test ) :

 n   n2   23 n   3n 
(i) ( x n ) =  n  (ii) ( y n ) =   (iii) ( z n ) =  2 n  (iv) ( wn ) =  3 
2   n!  3  n 
 (22)

(4) Discuss the convergence or divergence of the following sequences ( Use Root Test ) :

 2n   n!   4n 
(i) ( x n ) =   (ii) ( y n ) =  n  (iii) ( z n ) =  2  (iv) ( w n ) = (n2 )n

 n!  n  n 

(5) Discuss the convergence or divergence of the following sequences with general term x n

given by :

2n + 4 n n
(i) (ii) (3 n)1/ 2 n (iii) n ( 2 + (−1) n ) (iv) n Cos
3n 2

3 n 2 − log n
(v) 2 2017 / n (vi) n 2017 / n (vii) (viii) n + 3 n − n
n 2 + 3 n 3/ 2

5n + 6 n 8n
(ix) (x) n 1 / ( n + 2017 ) (xi) (xii) n ( n − 1) − n
1 + 7n n!

3n − 3− n ( n ! )1/ n
(xiii) n ( 41/ n − 1) (xiv) (xv) (xvi) log n − log ( n +1)
3n + 3− n n

3n 1 n 5n + 1
2 ( −1)
n
(xvii) (xviii) (xix) ( log n ) 1/ n (xx) Sin +
n 2 + (−1) n n 6 7n + 6