Problem Set on Sequences
Problem 1. Show that the sequence
n
1
un = 1 +
n
is monotone increasing and bounded above by 2.
Problem 2. Show that the sequence
n+1
1
vn = 1 +
n
is monotone decreasing and limn→∞ vn = e.
Problem 3. (i) Give an example of a sequence of rational numbers that
converges to an irrational number.
(ii) Give an example of a sequence of irrational numbers that converges to a
rational number.
(iii) Give an example of divergent sequences {un } and {vn } such that the
sequence {un + vn } is convergent.
(iv) Give an example of divergent sequences {un } and {vn } such that the
sequence {un vn } is convergent.
Problem 4. Let {un } be a bounded sequence and lim vn = 0. Prove that
lim un vn = 0.
Utilise this to prove that
an (−1)n n
(i) lim = 0, (ii) lim 2 = 0, (iii) lim(−1)n an = 0 if lim an = 0.
n n +1
Problem 5. Let {un }, {vn } be two real sequences with lim un = l, lim vn =
m. If xn = max{un , vn }, yn = min{un , vn } prove that the sequence {xn }
converges to max{l, m} and the sequence {yn } converges to min{l, m}.
[Hint: max{a, b} = 21 (a + b + |a − b|), min{a, b} = 12 (a + b − |a − b|) for
all a, b ∈ R.]
Problem 6. Prove that the sequence {un } is a null sequence.
n! 3n bn
(i) un = n , (ii) un = 3n , (iii) un = p , b > 1.
n 4 n
1
Problem 7. 7. Use Sandwich Theorem to prove that
√ √ (2n + 3n )
(i) lim( n + 1 − n) = 0, (ii) lim = 3,
nn
1 1 1 1 · 3 · 5 · · · · (2n − 1)
(iii) lim + +· · ·+ = 0, (iv) lim = 0.
n+1 n+2 2n 2 · 4 · 6 · · · · (2n)
Problem 8. Establish the convergence and find the limit of the sequence
{un }, where
n n2 n n2
1 1 1 1
un is (i) 1 + , (ii) 1 + 2 , (iii) 1 + , (iv) 1 + 2
.
3n n 3n + 1 n +2
Problem 9. Prove that the sequence {un } is convergent by showing that the
subsequences {u2n } and {u2n−1 } converge to the same limit.
1
(i) 0 < u1 < u2 and un+2 = (un+1 + 2un ) for n ≥ 1;
3
√
(ii) 0 < u1 < u2 and un+2 = un+1 un for n ≥ 1;
2 1 1
(iii) 0 < u1 < u2 and = + for n ≥ 1.
un+2 un+1 un
Problem 10. Prove that the sequence
n 2 2 o n 6 6 o
(i) 2, , 2 , . . . converges to 1; (ii) 6, , 6 , . . . converges to 2.
1 + 2 1 + 1+2 1 + 6 1 + 1+6
Problem 11. {xn } and {yn } are bounded sequences and a sequence {zn } is
defined by
z1 = x1 , z2 = y1 ; z3 = x2 , z4 = y2 ; z5 = x3 , z6 = y3 ; . . .
Prove that the sequence {zn } is convergent if and only if both the sequences
{xn } and {yn } are convergent with the same limit.
