1. [10] 2. [10] 3. [12] 4. [12] 5.

[6] Total: [50]

Ma 123 Exam 1 Feb 19, 2019

Name: Solutions
Check your Section:
2 A - Serbin (9:00am)
2 E - Taam (10:00am)
2 H - Taam (noon)
2 K - Myasnikov (1:00pm)
2 B - Ovchinnikov (9:00am) 2 C - Taam (9:00am)
2 F - Serbin (10:00am) 2 G - Prasad (10:00am)
2 I - Myasnikov (noon) 2 J - Serbin (noon)
2 L - Prasad (1:00pm)

Closed book and closed notes. Answers must include supporting work.
Calculators and cell phones out of sight.

Pledge and Sign:

1. Consider the repeating decimal 0.12 = 0.121212 . . ..

(a) [5 pts] Represent 0.12 as the sum of a geometric series.

(b) [5 pts] Convert 0.12 to a fraction based on the series found in (a).

Solution: (a) It is easy to see that

12 12 12
0.12 = + 2
+ + ···
100 (100) (100)3

(b) The number 0.12 is equal to the sum of the series found in (a). The common
1
ratio is , hence, the series converges and we have
100
12
12 12 12 100
0.12 = + + + · · · = 1
100 (100)2 (100)3 1 − 100

12 100 12
= · = .
100 99 99
2. [10 pts] Suppose
ek
0 6 ak 6 6 bk
k
and
1
0 6 ck 6 √ 6 d k
k k
for all k = 1, 2, 3, . . .. For each of the series
∞
X ∞
X ∞
X ∞
X
ak , bk , ck , dk
k=1 k=1 k=1 k=1

determine whether the series converges, diverges, or there is not enough information
to determine convergence or divergence. Justify your answers, including stating
explicitly the tests you use.

Solution: First of all, notice that the series

∞
X ek
k=1
k
diverges since
ek
lim =∞
k→∞ k
and the Test for Divergence works. (The limit can be calculated using L’Hopital’s
Rule.)
Next, the series
∞ ∞
X 1 X 1
√ = 3
k=1
k k k=1 k
2

3
converges as a p-series with p = .
2
∞
X
Finally, from the Comparison Test it follows that bk diverges because
k=1
k
e
06 6 bk
k
∞ ∞
X ek X
and the series diverges. The same test implies that ck converges since
k=1
k k=1

1
0 6 ck 6 √
k k
∞
X 1
and the series √ converges.
k=1
k k
∞
X ∞
X
Nothing can be said about convergence / divergence of the series ak , dk .
k=1 k=1
3. Let x
ln(1 − t)
Z
f (x) = dt
0 t
(a) [3 pts] Find the Taylor series for ln(1 − t) about t = 0.
ln(1−t)
(b) [3 pts] Use part (a) to find the Taylor series of t
about t = 0.
(c) [3 pts] Find the Taylor series for f (x) about x = 0.
(d) [3 pts] Does the series found in (c) converge for x = 1? Explain.

Solution: (a) The expansion for ln(1 + t) about t = 0 is

∞
X tk t2 t3
ln(1 + t) = (−1)k+1 = t − + − · · ·
k=1
k 2 3

We replace t by −t and obtain

∞ k ∞ k k ∞ 
tk

k+1 (−t) k+1 (−1) t
X X X
ln(1 − t) = (−1) = (−1) = −
k=1
k k=1
k k=1
k

t2 t3
= −t − − − ···
2 3

(b) Using part (a) we obtain

∞  ∞ 
tk tk−1 t t2
 X 
ln(1 − t) 1 X
= · − = − = −1 − − − · · ·
t t k=1 k k=1
k 2 3

(c) We have
x x
t t2
 
ln(1 − t)
Z Z
f (x) = dt = −1 − − − · · · dt
0 t 0 2 3
 x ∞ 
t2 t3 2 3
xk
 
 = −x − x − x − · · · =
 X
= −t − 2 − 2 − · · · − 2
2 3 
0 22 32 k=1
k

(d) We substitute x = 1 into the series and obtain

∞  ∞  ∞
1k
 X 
X 1 X 1
− 2 = − 2 =−
k=1
k k=1
k k=1
k2

The latter series is a p-series with p = 2, hence, it converges.

 √
3
4. Let f (x) = x2 .
√
(a) [6 pts] Estimate 3 4 using the 2-nd order Taylor polynomial P2 (x) of f (x) at
a = 1. Express your estimate as a rational number.
(b) [6 pts] Provide a bound for the error in the approximation from (a). Express
your bound as a rational number.

2
Solution: (a) By definition, the 2-nd order Taylor polynomial of f (x) = x 3 at a = 1
is
f 00 (1)
f (1) + f 0 (1)(x − 1) + (x − 1)2 .
2!
We have
2
f (x) = x 3 =⇒ f (1) = 1,
2 −1 2
f 0 (x) =
· x 3 =⇒ f 0 (1) = ,
3 3
2 4 2
f 00 (x) = − · x− 3 =⇒ f 00 (1) = − .
9 9
Hence, the 2-nd order Taylor polynomial of f (x) at a = 1 is
2 2 2 1
P2 (x) = 1 + (x − 1) − (x − 1)2 = 1 + (x − 1) − (x − 1)2
3 9 · 2! 3 9
and
√ 2 1 14
4 = f (2) ≈ P2 (2) = 1 + (2 − 1) − (2 − 1)2 = .
3

3 9 9
√
(b) The error | 3 4 − P2 (2)| = |f (2) − P2 (2)| can be estimated using the Lagrange
Error Bound Theorem. That is,
M
|f (2) − P2 (2)| 6 · |2 − 1|3 ,
3!
where M is the bound for |f 000 (x)| on the interval [1, 2]. Since
8 7 8 1
f 000 (x) = · x− 3 = ·
27 27 x 73

is positive and monotonically decreasing on [1, 2], it follows that it attains its
maximum on [1, 2] at x = 1, that is, we can take
8 7 8
M = f 000 (1) = · 1− 3 = .
27 27
Hence,
√ 8 1 4
· · |1|3 = .
3
| 4 − P2 (2)| 6
27 6 81
5. There are three multiple-choice questions below. Please check the boxes with
correct statements for every question. For some questions, you may have
to check multiple statements to receive full credit.
∞
X 1 1
(a) [2 pts] Consider the series ak , where ak = − , and the n-th partial
k=0
k+1 k+2
n
X
sum of the series sn = ak is given by the formula
k=1

1
sn = 1 − .
n+2
Then,
2 the series converges because lim ak = 0.
k→∞

3 the series converges because lim sn = 1.


n→∞

2 the series diverges because lim sn 6= 0.

n→∞

2 nothing can be concluded about convergence / divergence of the series.

∞
X
Solution: By definition of convergence of numerical series, ak converges if
k=1
lim sn exists. In our case lim sn = 1, hence, the series converges. The fact that
n→∞ n→∞
 
1 1 1
lim ak = lim − = lim =0
k→∞ k→∞ k k+1 k→∞ k(k + 1)

does not imply neither convergence, nor divergence of the series.

∞
X
(b) [2 pts] Consider the series ak and check all boxes with correct statements:
k=1
∞
X
2 If lim ak = 0 then ak converges.
k→∞
k=1
∞
3 If lim ak 6= 0 then
X
 ak diverges.
k→∞
k=1
∞
3 If
X
 ak converges then lim ak = 0.
k→∞
k=1
∞
X
2 If ak diverges then lim ak 6= 0.
k→∞
k=1
 Solution: The 2-nd and 3-rd statements are reformulations of the Divergence
∞
X 1
Test, that’s why they are true. Finally, is a counter-example both to the
k=1
k
1-st and 4-th statements.

Z ∞
x
(c) [2 pts] Given that the improper integral dx converges, which statement
1 2x
below about the series ∞
X k
k=1
2k
is true?
2 The series diverges.
∞ Z ∞
k x
3 The series converges and
X
 k
> dx.
k=1
2 1 2x
∞ Z ∞
X k x
2 The series converges and = dx.
k=1
2k 1 2x
∞ Z ∞
X k x
2 The series converges and < dx.
k=1
2k 1 2x

∞
X k
Solution: From the Integral Test applied to the series k
it follows that
k=1
2
∞ Z ∞
X k x
k
converges if and only if the integral x
dx converges (which is the
k=1
2 1 2
case here), but the sum of the series doesn’t have to be equal to the integral.
This can be seen on the picture below, where the integral represents the area
k
under the curve y = k and the series represents the sum of the areas of the
2
green rectangles: based on the picture, we are supposed to have
∞ Z ∞
X k x
k
> x
dx.
k=1
2 1 2
 2

1.5

0.5

2 4 6 8

Indeed, one can compute both and it turns out that

∞ Z ∞
X k x 1 + ln(2)
=2 and dx = ≈ 1.762.
k=1
2k 1 2x 2 ln(2)2