Sequences

Sequences

A sequence is a list of numbers in a definite order:

a1 , a2 , a3 , . . . , an , . . .

Per-Olof Persson
persson@berkeley.edu

The term an is called the nth term

The sequence {a1 , a2 , a3 , . . .} is also denoted by

Department of Mathematics
University of California, Berkeley

{an }

Math 1B Calculus

Limits

{an }
n=1

or

Limit Laws for Sequences

Definition
A sequence {an } has the limit L and we write
lim an = L

or

an L as n

Theorem (Limit Laws for Sequences)

If {an } and {bn } are convergent sequences and c is a constant,
then

if for every > 0 there is a corresponding integer N such that

if

n>N

then

lim (an + bn ) = lim an + lim bn

n
n

then

lim c = c

lim (an bn ) = lim an lim bn

n

an
limn an
lim
=
if lim bn 6= 0
n bn
n
lim
b
h nipn
p
lim an = lim an if p > 0 and an > 0
n

an > M

Useful Limit Theorems

Theorem
If limx f (x) = L and f (n) = an when n is an integer, then
limn an = L.

Limits

Powers

Theorem (Squeeze Theorem for Sequences)

If an bn cn for n n0 and limn an = limn cn = L,
then limn bn = L.
Theorem
If limn |an | = 0, then limn an = 0.
Theorem
If limn an = L and the function f is continuous at L, then
lim f (an ) = f (L)

Definition
limn an = means that for every positive number M there is
an integer N such that
n>N

lim can = c lim an

If limn an exists, the sequence converges (or is convergent).

Otherwise, the sequence diverges (or is divergent).

if

lim (an bn ) = lim an lim bn

|an L| <

lim

1
=0
nr

if r > 0

Exponentials
The sequence {rn } is convergent if 1 < r 1 and divergent for
all other values of r.
(
0 if 1 < r < 1
lim rn =
n
1 if r = 1

Increasing, Decreasing, and Bounded Sequences

Definition
A sequence {an } is called increasing if an < an+1 for all n 1,
i.e., a1 < a2 < a3 < . It is called decreasing if an > an+1 for all
n 1. It is called monotonic if it is either increasing or decreasing.
Definition
A sequence {an }
is bounded above if there is a number M such that an M
for all n 1.
is bounded below if there is a number m such that m an
for all n 1.
is a bounded sequence if it is bounded above and below.
Theorem (Monotonic Sequence Theorem)
Every bounded, monotonic sequence is convergent.