Questions tagged [sequences-and-series]

For questions concerning sequences and series. Typical questions concern, but are not limited to: identifying sequences, identifying terms, recurrence relations, $\epsilon-N$ proofs of convergence, convergence tests, finding closed forms for sums. For questions on finite sums, use the (summation) tag instead.

Sequences and series are often considered as a main part of part of calculus, in addition to limits, continuity, differentiation and integration.

A sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed. There are special types of sequences, such as arithmetic sequences (or arithmetic progressions), where the next term is a constant more than the previous; harmonic progressions, which is formed by taking the reciprocal of each term of an arithmetic progression; logarithmic progression, which is formed from a series whose progression getting smaller; and geometric progressions, where the next term is a constant multiplied by the previous term.

A sequence can be given by a direct formula (e.g. $a_n = 2^n + 3$), or by a recurrence relation. In a recurrence relation, the relation between the next term and the earlier terms is given. An example is the recurrence relation $F_{n+2}=F_{n+1}+F_n, n \geq 0.$ Together with the initial terms $F_0=0$ and $F_1=1$, this recurrence relation defines the famous Fibonacci sequence.

A series is formed by summing a sequence. A typical question is: When the number of summed terms goes to infinity, does the sum approach a finite limit? In other words, is it convergent? Several tests, such as the ratio test, the root test, the limit comparison test, the integral test, etc. can help to answer these questions.

Important note. Questions about guessing the next number in a sequence, with no explicit mathematical context, will usually be quickly closed. Consider posting these questions at Puzzling Stack Exchange instead.

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My son's Sum of Some is beautiful! But what is the proof or explanation?

My youngest son is in $6$th grade. He likes to play with numbers. Today, he showed me his latest finding. I call it his "Sum of Some" because he adds up some selected numbers from a series of numbers, and the sum equals a later number in that same…
haugsire
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Convergence of $\sqrt{n}x_{n}$ where $x_{n+1} = \sin(x_{n})$

Consider the sequence defined as $x_1 = 1$ $x_{n+1} = \sin x_n$ I think I was able to show that the sequence $\sqrt{n} x_{n}$ converges to $\sqrt{3}$ by a tedious elementary method which I wasn't too happy about. (I think I did this by showing that…
Aryabhata
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"Closed" form for $\sum \frac{1}{n^n}$

Earlier today, I was talking with my friend about some "cool" infinite series and the value they converge to like the Basel problem, Madhava-Leibniz formula for $\pi/4, \log 2$ and similar alternating series etc. One series that popped into our…
user17762
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Ways to make a series diverge "faster" to show divergence

I'm interested if there are more techniques to make a series diverge "faster" to show it diverges. Below are the specific tricks/theorems I know of to do this. I recalled reading that the sum of inverse primes $1/2 + 1/3 + 1/5 + \ldots$ has its…
user2566092
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Cauchy Sequence that Does Not Converge

What are some good examples of sequences which are Cauchy, but do not converge? I want an example of such a sequence in the metric space $X = \mathbb{Q}$, with $d(x, y) = |x - y|$. And preferably, no use of series.
jamaicanworm
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Show that $\left(1+\dfrac{1}{n}\right)^n$ is monotonically increasing

Show that $U_n:=\left(1+\dfrac{1}{n}\right)^n$, $n\in\Bbb N$, defines a monotonically increasing sequence. I must show that $U_{n+1}-U_n\geq0$, i.e. $$\left(1+\dfrac{1}{n+1}\right)^{n+1}-\left(1+\dfrac{1}{n}\right)^n\geq0.$$ I am trying to go…
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Show $\sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{1}{a^2+n^2}=\frac{1+a\pi\coth a\pi}{2a^2}$

How to show the following equality? $$\sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{1}{a^2+n^2}=\frac{1+a\pi\coth a\pi}{2a^2}$$
Spenser
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Does the sum $\sum_{n \geq 1} \frac{2^n\operatorname{mod} n}{n^2}$ converge?

I am somewhat a noob, and I don't recall my math preparation from college. I know that the sum $\displaystyle \sum_{n\geq 1}\frac{1}{n}$ is divergent and my question is if the sum$$\sum \limits _{n\geq 1}\frac{2^n\mod n}{n^2}$$converges. I think is…
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Does this sequence have any mathematical significance?

Take the sequence 001 and repeatedly append its second half to itself, using the larger half if the length is odd. This gives you 00101 then 00101101 then 001011011101 then 001011011101011101 and so on. Counting the groups of adjacent ones gives 1 2…
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Calculate sums of inverses of binomial coefficients

How to calculate the sum of sequence $$\frac{1}{\binom{n}{1}}+\frac{1}{\binom{n}{2}}+\frac{1}{\binom{n}{3}}+\cdots+\frac{1}{\binom{n}{n}}=?$$ How about its limit?
Charles Bao
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Prove the divergence of the sequence $\left\{ \sin(n) \right\}_{n=1}^{\infty}$.

I am looking for nice ways of proving the divergence of the sequence $\left\{x_n\right\}_{n=1}^{\infty}$ defined by $$x_n=\sin{(n)}.$$ One (not so nice) way is to construct two subsequences: one where the indexes are picked such that they lie in the…
Spenser
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$a_n$ is the smallest positive integer number such that $\sqrt{a_n+\sqrt{a_{n-1}+...+\sqrt{a_1}}}$ is positive integer

An infinite sequence of pairwise distinct numbers $a_1, a_2, a_3, ...$ is defined thus: $a_n$ is the smallest positive integer number such that $\sqrt{a_n+\sqrt{a_{n-1}+...+\sqrt{a_1}}}$ is positive integer. Prove that the sequence $ a_1, a_2, a_3,…
Roman83
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Calculating $1+\frac13+\frac{1\cdot3}{3\cdot6}+\frac{1\cdot3\cdot5}{3\cdot6\cdot9}+\frac{1\cdot3\cdot5\cdot7}{3\cdot6\cdot9\cdot12}+\dots? $

How to find infinite sum How to find infinite sum $$1+\dfrac13+\dfrac{1\cdot3}{3\cdot6}+\dfrac{1\cdot3\cdot5}{3\cdot6\cdot9}+\dfrac{1\cdot3\cdot5\cdot7}{3\cdot6\cdot9\cdot12}+\dots? $$ I can see that 3 cancels out after 1/3, but what next? I can't…
Silent
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A way to calculate e?

Define three sequences: The first sequence is $$n^n: 1,\ 4,\ 27,\ 256,\ 3125,\ 46656, \ldots$$ The second sequence is that of the ratios between adjacent members of the first series, or $$\frac{(n+1)^{n+1}}{n^n}: 4,\ \frac{27}4,\ \frac{256}{27}, \…
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