MA 101: Engineering Mathematics I
Tutorial Sheet 2: Sequences
1. Using the definition of limit, prove that
4n3 +3n n2
(a) limn→∞ n3 −6
= 4. (d) limn→∞ n!
= 0.
(−1)n 1
(b) limn→∞ n
= 0. (e) For c > 0, limn→∞ c n = 1.
2n
(c) limn→∞ n!
= 0. (f) For 0 < b < 1, limn→∞ bn = 0.
2. Show that the sequence (sn ) = (cos nπ
3
) is not convergent.
√
3. Show that limn→∞ ( n2 + 1 − n) = 0.
√
4. Let (xn ) be a sequence such that xn ≥ 0 for all n ∈ N and xn → 0. Prove that xn → 0.
5. Let (xn ) be a convergent sequence of real numbers such that xn ≥ 0 for all n ∈ N and xn → x.
Then prove that x ≥ 0.
6. If limn→∞ xn = x > 0, then show that there exists a natural number p such that if n ≥ p, then
1
2
x < xn < 2x.
7. Let (sn ) be a convergent sequence of real numbers such that sn ̸= 0 for all n ∈ N and
limn→∞ sn = s ̸= 0. Prove that inf{|sn | : n ∈ N} > 0..
8. Let (sn ) be a sequence in R. Then prove that limn→∞ sn = 0 if and only if limn→∞ |sn | = 0.
Give an example to show that convergence of (|sn |) need not imply the convergence of (sn ).
9. Let (an ) be a convergent sequence with non-zero terms such that lim an > 0. Show that ( a1n ) is
a bounded sequence.
10. Let (an ) be a sequence of positive real numbers such that L := lim an+1
an
exists. If L < 1, then
show that (an ) converges and lim an = 0.
11. Prove that the sequence (an ), where
n
X 1 1 1 1
an = = 1 + + + ··· +
k=0
k! 1! 2! n!
is convergent and its limit is between 2 and 3.
12. Using Sandwich/Squeeze theorem, prove that
1
1
(a) limn→∞ (2n) n = 1.
n2
(b) limn→∞ n!
= 0.
13. Discuss the convergence of the following sequences for 0 < a < 1, b > 1:
(a) ( nn!n )
(b) (n2 an )
n
(c) ( nb 2 ).
14. Show that the sequences (an ) are convergent, where an is iteratively defined as
3an + 2
(a) a1 = 1, and an+1 = for n ≥ 1,
√ 6
(b) a1 = 2, and an+1 = an + 2 for n ≥ 1,
1 √
(c) a1 = 1, and an+1 = + an for n ≥ 1, and
2
3 1 2
(d) a1 = , and an+1 = an + for n ≥ 1.
2 2 an
n
1
15. Show that the sequence (en ) defined by en = 1 + is increasing and bounded above.
n
16. Let (an ) and (bn ) be sequences in R and let a, b be real numbers such that an → a and bn → b.
Then prove the following statements:
(a) If there exists an m ∈ N such that an ≥ 0 for all n ≥ m, then a ≥ 0.
(b) If a < b then there exists m ∈ N such that an < bn for all n ≥ m.
17. Let (an )n∈N be a sequence in R, and suppose that n1 < n2 < n3 < · · · is a strictly increasing
sequence of natural numbers. Then (ank )k∈N is called a subsequence of (an )n∈N . Thus the terms
of the subsequence are an1 , an2 , . . .. Show that any subsequence of a convergent sequence is
convergent with the same limit.
18. Let (an ) be such that a2n → a and a2n+1 → a for some a ∈ R. Then show that an → a.
19. (Cauchy sequence). A sequence (an ) of real numbers is said to be a Cauchy sequence if for
every ϵ > 0, there exists a N ∈ N such that whenever m, n ≥ N, |an − am | < ϵ. Show that:
(a) The sequence n1 is Cauchy.
(b) The sequence (n) is not Cauchy.
(c) A sequence in R is a Cauchy sequence if and only if it is a convergent sequence.
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