Ecole Nationale Polytechnique Constantine

1st-year class preparatory

Analysis 1 - Guided Exercises N° 2: Real Sequences

Solution Exercise 1. [Generalities]

1. 
u0 = 1,

u1 = 2,

un+1 = un + un−1 , for n ≥ 2.


ˆ (a) Proof by Induction

Base Case: For n = 0, we have U1 − U0 = 1 (Verified).
1 n


Inductive Hypothesis: Let’s assume that for some n, Un+1 − Un = − 2 is true.

n+1
Inductive Step: We want to prove for n + 1, which means Un+2 − Un+1 = − 12 .
Starting with the left-hand side:
Un+1 − Un
Un+2 − Un+1 = − Un+1
2
n
− 12


= − Un+1
2 
n
1 1
=− − Un+1
2 2
 n+1
1
=− .
2
So, the statement holds for n + 1.
By mathematical induction, the statement is true for all non-negative integers n.
ˆ (b) Based on the previous question:
 n−1  n
1 5 2 −1
un = − + un−1 = −
2 3 3 2
√
ˆ Given the sequence un = 2nn ,
we compute the difference between consecutive terms:

√ √
n+1 n
un+1 − un = n+1
− n
√ 2 2
√
n+1−2 n
=
2n+1
−3n + 1
= n+1 √ √ .
2 ( n + 1 + 2 n)
Since n ≥ 2, this difference is negative. Therefore, the sequence un is decreasing.
ˆ Given the sequence vn = n3 − 1 and noting that vn > 0 for n > 1,
we can evaluate the ratio between consecutive terms:

vn+1 (n + 1)3 − 1
= > 1.
vn n3 − 1
This indicates that the sequence vn is increasing for n > 1.
2. ˆ For the subsequence u2n , the extracted sequences are u6n and u2n+1 .
ˆ For the subsequence u3n , the extracted sequences are u6n and u3·2n .
ˆ For the subsequence u2n , the extracted sequence is u2n+1 .

1
Exercise 2. [Limit by Definition]
1.
n sin(n) n sin(n)
lim 2
= 0 ⇐⇒ ∀ϵ > 0 ∃n0 ∈ N, ∀n ≥ n0 : < ϵ.
n→+∞ n +2 n2 + 2

Let ϵ > 0:
n sin n n| sin n| n 1 1
= 2 ≤ 2 ≤ <ϵ⇒n> .
n2 + 2 n +2 n +2 n ϵ

We can take n0 = ⌈ 1ϵ ⌉ + 1.
Verification:
1 1 n sin n 1 n sin n
n ≥ n0 > ⇒n> ⇒ 2 < <ϵ⇒ 2 < ϵ.
ϵ ϵ n +2 n n +2

2.
n2 n2
lim = 1 ⇐⇒ ∀ϵ > 0 ∃n0 ∈ N, ∀n ≥ n0 : − 1 < ϵ.
n→+∞ n(n + 1) n(n + 1)

Let ϵ > 0:
n2 1 1 1
−1 = < ϵ ⇒ n + 1 > ⇒ n > − 1.
n(n + 1) n+1 ϵ ϵ

We can take n0 = ⌈ 1ϵ − 1⌉ + 1.
Verification:
1 1 1 n2
n ≥ n0 > −1⇒n> −1⇒ <ϵ⇒ − 1 < ϵ.
ϵ ϵ n+1 n(n + 1)

3.
lim (n2 + (−1)n n) = +∞ ⇐⇒ ∀A > 0, ∃n0 ∈ N, ∀n ≥ n0 : n2 + (−1)n n > A.
n→+∞

Let A > 0:
√ √
n2 + (−1)n n ≥ n2 − n = n(n − 1) ≥ (n − 1)2 > A ⇒ n − 1 > A⇒n> A − 1.
√
We can take n0 = ⌈ A⌉ + 2.
Verification:
√ √
n ≥ n0 > A−1⇒n> A − 1 ⇒ n2 + (−1)n n > A.

Exercise 3. [Nature]
√
n
1. Given a sequence un = an + bn , where a > b > 0.
s  
n b
lim un = lim 1+ = a ∈ R ⇒ un is convergent.
n→+∞ n→+∞ a
Pn 1
2. Consider the sequence vn = k=1 n+k .
To study its monotonicity:
1 1
vn+1 − vn = − > 0 ⇒ vn is strictly increasing.
2n + 1 2n + 2
To study its boundedness:
∀n ∈ N∗ , vn < 1.
Since vn is increasing and upper bounded, we conclude that vn is convergent.

2
 3. Consider the sequence yn = cos(nπ).
We have two cases:
If n is even, then limn→+∞ yn = 1.
If n is odd, then limn→+∞ yn = −1.
Since the limit of yn is not unique (1 for even n and -1 for odd n), we conclude that yn does not have
a limit, and therefore yn is divergent.

Exercise 4. [Adjacent Sequences]

√ √ √ √ √ a+b
√
1. Given the condition ( a − b)2 ≥ 0 ⇒ (a − 2 ab + b) ≥ 0 ⇒ aba + b ≥ 2 ab ⇒ ≥ ab ⇒
√ √ 2 √ 2
( a − b) ≥ 0, then a+b2 ≥ ab.

2. ˆ We have a = + a2 ≤ a2 + 2b = a+b
a
2 2 ≤
b+b
2 =b
√ √ √ √ √
ˆ We have a = a a ≤ a b = ab

3. Using the recurrence method, we can prove that vn ≥ un > 0.

To study the monotony of un and vn :
For un :
√
un+1 = un vn ≥ un =⇒ un is increasing.

For vn :
un + vn
vn+1 = ≤ vn =⇒ vn is decreasing.
2
Now, let’s calculate limn→+∞ (vn − un ):

un−1 + vn−1 vn−1 − un−1 v0 − u0

0 ≤ vn − u n = − un−1 = ≤ ... ≤
2 2 2n
As we have limn→+∞ v02−un
0
= 0, then limn→+∞ (vn − un ) = 0.
In conclusion: un and vn are adjacent, then they have they convergent to the same limit.

Exercise 5. [Cauchy Criterion]

n2 −1
1. The sequence un = n2 is a Cauchy sequence if and only if:

∀ϵ > 0, ∃n0 ∈ N, ∀m > n ≥ n0 : |um − un | < ϵ.

Let ϵ > 0:
r
1 1 1 1 2 2
|um − un | = − 2 ≤ 2 + 2 < 2 <ϵ⇒n> .
n2 m n m n ϵ
q
2
We can take n0 = ⌈ ϵ⌉ + 1.
This shows that un is a Cauchy sequence, and by the Cauchy convergence criterion, we conclude that
un is convergent.
2. The sequence vn is a Cauchy sequence if and only if:

∀ϵ > 0, ∃n0 ∈ N, ∀m > n ≥ n0 : |vm − vn | < ϵ.

3
 Let ϵ > 0:

|vm − vn | ≤ |vm − vm−1 | + |vm−1 − vm−2 | + . . . + |vn+1 − vn |

≤ C m−2 |v2 − v1 | + C m−3 |v2 − v1 | + . . . + C n−1 |v2 − v1 |
1 − C m−n
 
n−1
=C |v2 − v1 |
1−C
C n−1
≤ |v2 − v1 | < ϵ.
1−C

This implies:
   
n−1 ϵ(1 − C) ϵ(1 − C) 1 ϵ(1 − C)
C < ⇒ (n − 1) ln C < ln ⇒n> ln + 1.
|v2 − v1 | |v2 − v1 | ln C |v2 − v1 |

According to the Archimedean theorem, there exists an n0 such that (vn ) is a Cauchy sequence, and
by the Cauchy convergence criterion, we conclude that (vn ) is convergent.

Exercise 6. [Recursive Sequences]

1. Using the recurence method: For n = 0: 0 < un ≤ 1 We suppose that 0 < un ≤ 1 is true for n and we
prove it for n + 1:
For n + 1:
un
1. 0 < un ≤ 1 ⇒ 0 < 2 ≤ 12 .
u2n
2. 0 < u2n ≤ 1 ⇒ 0 < 4 ≤ 14 .
Combining the results from steps 1 and 2, we find:
3
3. 0 < un+1 ≤ 4 ≤ 1.
This shows that if 0 < un ≤ 1 for n, then it also holds true for n + 1.

2. First, we have established that un is bounded. Now, let’s prove that it is also monotonic:
x2
1. We define f (x) = x
2 + 4 . Calculating the derivative, we have f ′ (x) = 1
2 + x
2 > 0.
′
2. Since f (x) > 0, we conclude that f (x) is increasing.
3. As u1 − u0 ≤ 0, which implies that un is decreasing.
Hence, un is both bounded and decreasing, which indicates that (un ) is convergent.
3. Let E = {un | n > 1}.
sup E, is equal to sup un , which is u0 .
inf E, is equal to inf un , which is l = 0.