Solution verification: testing the convergence of a sum
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I am new to calculus, and I just wanted to check my reasoning re the following:
Given is the following series:
$$sum n^s·e^{-n}, s ge0$$
I was asked to prove that this series converges.
My reasoning was:
$$lim_{nto infty} frac{(n+1)^s}{e^{(n+1)}}·frac{e^n}{n^s}=lim_{nto infty} frac{(n+1)^s}{en^s}=frac {1}{e}$$
As $frac {1}{e}<1$, the series converges.
Is this correct?
Thank you!
calculus sequences-and-series proof-verification
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
I am new to calculus, and I just wanted to check my reasoning re the following:
Given is the following series:
$$sum n^s·e^{-n}, s ge0$$
I was asked to prove that this series converges.
My reasoning was:
$$lim_{nto infty} frac{(n+1)^s}{e^{(n+1)}}·frac{e^n}{n^s}=lim_{nto infty} frac{(n+1)^s}{en^s}=frac {1}{e}$$
As $frac {1}{e}<1$, the series converges.
Is this correct?
Thank you!
calculus sequences-and-series proof-verification
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2
$begingroup$
Yes, it is correct.
$endgroup$
– Kavi Rama Murthy
Jan 8 at 8:25
1
$begingroup$
It is correct i would have used root test it is a little quicker
$endgroup$
– Milan Stojanovic
Jan 8 at 8:28
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I am new to calculus, and I just wanted to check my reasoning re the following:
Given is the following series:
$$sum n^s·e^{-n}, s ge0$$
I was asked to prove that this series converges.
My reasoning was:
$$lim_{nto infty} frac{(n+1)^s}{e^{(n+1)}}·frac{e^n}{n^s}=lim_{nto infty} frac{(n+1)^s}{en^s}=frac {1}{e}$$
As $frac {1}{e}<1$, the series converges.
Is this correct?
Thank you!
calculus sequences-and-series proof-verification
$endgroup$
I am new to calculus, and I just wanted to check my reasoning re the following:
Given is the following series:
$$sum n^s·e^{-n}, s ge0$$
I was asked to prove that this series converges.
My reasoning was:
$$lim_{nto infty} frac{(n+1)^s}{e^{(n+1)}}·frac{e^n}{n^s}=lim_{nto infty} frac{(n+1)^s}{en^s}=frac {1}{e}$$
As $frac {1}{e}<1$, the series converges.
Is this correct?
Thank you!
calculus sequences-and-series proof-verification
calculus sequences-and-series proof-verification
edited Jan 8 at 8:39
Eevee Trainer
9,00831640
9,00831640
asked Jan 8 at 8:24
daltadalta
1508
1508
2
$begingroup$
Yes, it is correct.
$endgroup$
– Kavi Rama Murthy
Jan 8 at 8:25
1
$begingroup$
It is correct i would have used root test it is a little quicker
$endgroup$
– Milan Stojanovic
Jan 8 at 8:28
add a comment |
2
$begingroup$
Yes, it is correct.
$endgroup$
– Kavi Rama Murthy
Jan 8 at 8:25
1
$begingroup$
It is correct i would have used root test it is a little quicker
$endgroup$
– Milan Stojanovic
Jan 8 at 8:28
2
2
$begingroup$
Yes, it is correct.
$endgroup$
– Kavi Rama Murthy
Jan 8 at 8:25
$begingroup$
Yes, it is correct.
$endgroup$
– Kavi Rama Murthy
Jan 8 at 8:25
1
1
$begingroup$
It is correct i would have used root test it is a little quicker
$endgroup$
– Milan Stojanovic
Jan 8 at 8:28
$begingroup$
It is correct i would have used root test it is a little quicker
$endgroup$
– Milan Stojanovic
Jan 8 at 8:28
add a comment |
1 Answer
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$begingroup$
Your proof is definitely valid as an application of the ratio test.
One minor nitpick: it would've been more appropriate to indicate the index of summation, i.e.
$$sum_{n=0}^infty ;;; text{instead of} ;;; sum$$
While it's okay to use the latter when the indices or the space over which you're summing is well understood, it's not necessarily true here, in my opinion. But this may well be just a personal issue since I struggled for a sec in figuring out which variable you were summing over.
(For completeness' sake I assume it was something like the former, an infinite summation starting at some finite index, i.e. $0, 1,$ etc., and was a summation over $n$.)
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1
$begingroup$
thank you! strangely enough, that's the way it appears in the exercise, so I didn't change it...
$endgroup$
– dalta
Jan 8 at 8:42
$begingroup$
Huh, that's interesting. I mostly point it out because the main thing that could make the textbook's answer unusual is if it were understood be a finite sum (say from $n=1$ to $n=100$ or something). Of course that's probably not the case. It's probably just assumed it's infinite and starts at a finite index then, since a lot of these problems work like that. So there shouldn't be an issue I suppose.
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:43
$begingroup$
(Post-script: Of course, it'll never hurt to check with your teacher/professor if you feel unsure. :p)
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:44
add a comment |
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$begingroup$
Your proof is definitely valid as an application of the ratio test.
One minor nitpick: it would've been more appropriate to indicate the index of summation, i.e.
$$sum_{n=0}^infty ;;; text{instead of} ;;; sum$$
While it's okay to use the latter when the indices or the space over which you're summing is well understood, it's not necessarily true here, in my opinion. But this may well be just a personal issue since I struggled for a sec in figuring out which variable you were summing over.
(For completeness' sake I assume it was something like the former, an infinite summation starting at some finite index, i.e. $0, 1,$ etc., and was a summation over $n$.)
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
thank you! strangely enough, that's the way it appears in the exercise, so I didn't change it...
$endgroup$
– dalta
Jan 8 at 8:42
$begingroup$
Huh, that's interesting. I mostly point it out because the main thing that could make the textbook's answer unusual is if it were understood be a finite sum (say from $n=1$ to $n=100$ or something). Of course that's probably not the case. It's probably just assumed it's infinite and starts at a finite index then, since a lot of these problems work like that. So there shouldn't be an issue I suppose.
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:43
$begingroup$
(Post-script: Of course, it'll never hurt to check with your teacher/professor if you feel unsure. :p)
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:44
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Your proof is definitely valid as an application of the ratio test.
One minor nitpick: it would've been more appropriate to indicate the index of summation, i.e.
$$sum_{n=0}^infty ;;; text{instead of} ;;; sum$$
While it's okay to use the latter when the indices or the space over which you're summing is well understood, it's not necessarily true here, in my opinion. But this may well be just a personal issue since I struggled for a sec in figuring out which variable you were summing over.
(For completeness' sake I assume it was something like the former, an infinite summation starting at some finite index, i.e. $0, 1,$ etc., and was a summation over $n$.)
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
thank you! strangely enough, that's the way it appears in the exercise, so I didn't change it...
$endgroup$
– dalta
Jan 8 at 8:42
$begingroup$
Huh, that's interesting. I mostly point it out because the main thing that could make the textbook's answer unusual is if it were understood be a finite sum (say from $n=1$ to $n=100$ or something). Of course that's probably not the case. It's probably just assumed it's infinite and starts at a finite index then, since a lot of these problems work like that. So there shouldn't be an issue I suppose.
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:43
$begingroup$
(Post-script: Of course, it'll never hurt to check with your teacher/professor if you feel unsure. :p)
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:44
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Your proof is definitely valid as an application of the ratio test.
One minor nitpick: it would've been more appropriate to indicate the index of summation, i.e.
$$sum_{n=0}^infty ;;; text{instead of} ;;; sum$$
While it's okay to use the latter when the indices or the space over which you're summing is well understood, it's not necessarily true here, in my opinion. But this may well be just a personal issue since I struggled for a sec in figuring out which variable you were summing over.
(For completeness' sake I assume it was something like the former, an infinite summation starting at some finite index, i.e. $0, 1,$ etc., and was a summation over $n$.)
$endgroup$
Your proof is definitely valid as an application of the ratio test.
One minor nitpick: it would've been more appropriate to indicate the index of summation, i.e.
$$sum_{n=0}^infty ;;; text{instead of} ;;; sum$$
While it's okay to use the latter when the indices or the space over which you're summing is well understood, it's not necessarily true here, in my opinion. But this may well be just a personal issue since I struggled for a sec in figuring out which variable you were summing over.
(For completeness' sake I assume it was something like the former, an infinite summation starting at some finite index, i.e. $0, 1,$ etc., and was a summation over $n$.)
answered Jan 8 at 8:37
Eevee TrainerEevee Trainer
9,00831640
9,00831640
1
$begingroup$
thank you! strangely enough, that's the way it appears in the exercise, so I didn't change it...
$endgroup$
– dalta
Jan 8 at 8:42
$begingroup$
Huh, that's interesting. I mostly point it out because the main thing that could make the textbook's answer unusual is if it were understood be a finite sum (say from $n=1$ to $n=100$ or something). Of course that's probably not the case. It's probably just assumed it's infinite and starts at a finite index then, since a lot of these problems work like that. So there shouldn't be an issue I suppose.
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:43
$begingroup$
(Post-script: Of course, it'll never hurt to check with your teacher/professor if you feel unsure. :p)
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:44
add a comment |
1
$begingroup$
thank you! strangely enough, that's the way it appears in the exercise, so I didn't change it...
$endgroup$
– dalta
Jan 8 at 8:42
$begingroup$
Huh, that's interesting. I mostly point it out because the main thing that could make the textbook's answer unusual is if it were understood be a finite sum (say from $n=1$ to $n=100$ or something). Of course that's probably not the case. It's probably just assumed it's infinite and starts at a finite index then, since a lot of these problems work like that. So there shouldn't be an issue I suppose.
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:43
$begingroup$
(Post-script: Of course, it'll never hurt to check with your teacher/professor if you feel unsure. :p)
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:44
1
1
$begingroup$
thank you! strangely enough, that's the way it appears in the exercise, so I didn't change it...
$endgroup$
– dalta
Jan 8 at 8:42
$begingroup$
thank you! strangely enough, that's the way it appears in the exercise, so I didn't change it...
$endgroup$
– dalta
Jan 8 at 8:42
$begingroup$
Huh, that's interesting. I mostly point it out because the main thing that could make the textbook's answer unusual is if it were understood be a finite sum (say from $n=1$ to $n=100$ or something). Of course that's probably not the case. It's probably just assumed it's infinite and starts at a finite index then, since a lot of these problems work like that. So there shouldn't be an issue I suppose.
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:43
$begingroup$
Huh, that's interesting. I mostly point it out because the main thing that could make the textbook's answer unusual is if it were understood be a finite sum (say from $n=1$ to $n=100$ or something). Of course that's probably not the case. It's probably just assumed it's infinite and starts at a finite index then, since a lot of these problems work like that. So there shouldn't be an issue I suppose.
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:43
$begingroup$
(Post-script: Of course, it'll never hurt to check with your teacher/professor if you feel unsure. :p)
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:44
$begingroup$
(Post-script: Of course, it'll never hurt to check with your teacher/professor if you feel unsure. :p)
$endgroup$
– Eevee Trainer
Jan 8 at 8:44
add a comment |
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$begingroup$
Yes, it is correct.
$endgroup$
– Kavi Rama Murthy
Jan 8 at 8:25
1
$begingroup$
It is correct i would have used root test it is a little quicker
$endgroup$
– Milan Stojanovic
Jan 8 at 8:28