Infinite Series of Positive Terms

Infinite series, all of whose terms are positive, have special properties. In particular, the sequence of partial sums of such
a series is increasing and has a lower bound of 0. If the sequence of partial sums also has an upper bound, then the
sequence is monotonic and bounded. Because boundedness and convergence of a monotonic sequence are equivalent,
the sequence of partial sums is convergent, ad therefore the series is convergent. Thus, we have the following theorem.

Theorem 8
An infinite series of positive terms is convergent if and only if its sequence of partial sums has an upper bound.
1
Example 1 Prove that the series is convergent by applying theorem 8: ∑+∞
𝑛=1 𝑛!

Solution
1
We must find an upper bound for the sequence of partial sums of the series ∑+∞
𝑛=1 . 𝑛!
1 1 1
𝑠1 = 1 𝑠2 = 1 + 𝑠3 = 1 + +
1⋅2 1⋅2 1⋅2⋅3

⋮
1 1 1 1
𝑠𝑛 = 1 + + + + ⋯.+ (1)
1⋅2 1⋅2⋅3 1⋅2 ⋅3⋅4 1⋅2⋅3⋅4⋅…⋅𝑛
1
Now consider the first 𝑛 terms of the geometric series with 𝑎 = 1 and 𝑟 = :
2
1 1 1 1 1
∑𝑛𝑘=1 = 1+ + + + ⋯+ (2)
2𝑘−1 2 22 23 2𝑛−1
1 𝑎
Consider the geometric series with 𝑎 = 1 and 𝑟 = has the sum = 2. Hence summation 2 is less than 2.
2 1−𝑟
Observe that each term of summation (1) is less than or equal to the corresponding term of summation 2; that
is,
1 1
≤ 𝑘−1
𝑘! 2
This is true because 𝑘! = 1 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 3 ⋅ … ⋅ 𝑘, which in addition to the factor 1 contains 𝑘 − 1 factors each greater
than or equal to 2. Hence
𝑛 𝑛
1 1
𝑠𝑛 = ∑ ≤ ∑ 𝑘−1 < 2
𝑘! 2
𝑘=1 𝑘=1

From the above, {𝑠𝑛 } has an upper bound of 2. Therefore, by theorem 8, the given series is convergent.

In example 1, we compared the terms of the given series with those of a known convergent series. This
procedure is a particular case of the following theorem known as the Comparison Test.

Theorem 9 Comparison Test

Let the series ∑+∞
𝑛=1 𝑢𝑛 be a series of positive terms.

i) If ∑+∞
𝑛=1 𝑣𝑛 is a series of positive terms known to be convergent, and 𝑢𝑛 ≤ 𝑣𝑛 for all positive integers 𝑛, then
+∞
∑𝑛=1 𝑢𝑛 is convergent.
 ii) If ∑+∞
𝑛=1 𝑤𝑛 is a series of positive terms known to be divergent, and 𝑢𝑛 ≥ 𝑤𝑛 for all positive integers 𝑛, then
∑+∞𝑛=1 𝑢𝑛 is divergent.

4
Example 2 Determine whether the series is convergent or divergent: ∑+∞
𝑛=1 3𝑛 +1

Solution
4 4 4 4 4
The given series is + + + + ⋯+ +⋯
4 10 28 82 3𝑛 +1

Comparing the nth term of this series with the nth term of the convergent geometric series
4 4 4 2 4 1
+ + + +⋯+ 𝑛 +⋯ 𝑟= <1
3 9 27 81 3 3
we have
4 4
<
3𝑛 + 1 3𝑛
for every positive integer 𝑛. Therefore, by theorem 8i, the given series is convergent.

1
Example 3 Determine whether the series is convergent or divergent: ∑+∞
𝑛=1 .
√𝑛

Theorem 10 Limit Comparison Test

Let the series ∑+∞ +∞
𝑛=1 𝑢𝑛 and ∑𝑛=1 𝑣𝑛 be two series of positive terms.
𝑢𝑛
i) If lim = 𝑐 > 0, then the two series either both converge or both diverge.
𝑛→+∞ 𝑣𝑛
𝑢𝑛
ii) If lim = 0, and if ∑+∞ +∞
𝑛=1 𝑣𝑛 converges, then ∑𝑛=1 𝑢𝑛 converges.
𝑛→+∞ 𝑣𝑛
𝑢
iii) If lim 𝑛 = +∞, and if ∑+∞ +∞
𝑛=1 𝑣𝑛 diverges, then ∑𝑛=1 𝑢𝑛 converges.
𝑛→+∞ 𝑣𝑛

Example 4 Solve Example 2 by the limit comparison test.

Example 5 Solve Example 3 by the limit comparison test.

𝑛3
Example 6 Determine whether the series is convergent or divergent: ∑+∞
𝑛=1 .
𝑛!
1
Example 7 Determine whether the series is convergent or divergent: ∑+∞
𝑛=1 1 .
(𝑛2 +2)3

Illustration 1 Consider the geometric series

1 1 1 1 1
1+ + + + + ⋯ + 𝑛−1 + ⋯
2 4 8 16 2
which converges to 2. Regroup the terms of this series to obtain
 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
(1 + ) + ( + ) + ( + ) + ⋯ + ( 𝑛−1 + + ⋯)
2 4 8 16 32 4 2 ⋅ 4𝑛−1
Which is the series
3 3 3 3
+ + + ⋯+ +⋯ (7)
2 8 32 2 ⋅ 4𝑛−1
3 1
Because series 7 is the geometric series with 𝑎 = and 𝑟 = , it is convergent ant its sum is 2.
2 4

Theorem 11
If ∑+∞
𝑛=1 𝑢𝑛 is a given convergent series of positive terms, its terms can be grouped in any manner, and the resulting series
also will be convergent and will have the same sum as the given series.

Theorem 12
If ∑+∞
𝑛=1 𝑢𝑛 is a given convergent series of positive terms, the order of the terms can be rearranged, and the resulting
series also will be convergent and will have the same sum as the given series.

Theorem 13 Integral Test

Let 𝑓 be a function that is continuous, decreasing, and positive valued for all 𝑥 ≥ 1. Then the infinite series
+∞

∑ 𝑓(𝑛) = 𝑓(1) + 𝑓(2) + ⋯ + 𝑓(𝑛) + ⋯

𝑛=1
+∞ 𝑏
is convergent if the improper integral ∫1 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑑𝑥 exists, and it is divergent if lim ∫1 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑑𝑥 = +∞.
𝑏→+∞

Example 8 Determine whether the series is convergent or divergent: ∑+∞

𝑛=1 𝑛𝑒
−𝑛 .

Solution: Let 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥𝑒 −𝑥 . Then,

𝑓 ′ (𝑥) = 𝑒 −𝑥 − 𝑥𝑒 −𝑥 = 𝑒 −𝑥 (1 − 𝑥)
Because 𝑓 ′ (𝑥) < 0 if 𝑥 > 1, it follows from Thm 13 that 𝑓 is decreasing if 𝑥 ≥ 1. Furthermore 𝑓 is continuous
and positive valued for all 𝑥 ≥ 1. Thus the hypothesis of the integral test is satisfied. By applying IBP,

∫ 𝑥𝑒 −𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = −𝑒 −𝑥 (𝑥 + 1) + 𝐶
Hence,
+∞
𝑏+1 2
∫ 𝑥𝑒 −𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = lim [𝑒 −𝑥 (𝑥 + 1)]1𝑏 = lim [− + ]
1 𝑏→+∞ 𝑏→+∞ 𝑒𝑏 𝑒

Because lim (𝑏 + 1) = +∞ and lim 𝑒 𝑏 = +∞, we apply L’Hôpital’s Rule.

𝑏→+∞ 𝑏→+∞

𝑏+1 1
lim − = lim − =0
𝑏→+∞ 𝑒𝑏 𝑏→+∞ 𝑒 𝑏

Therefore,
+∞
2
∫ 𝑥𝑒 −𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = .
1 𝑒
Thus, the series is convergent.

If the summation index for an infinite series starts with 𝑛 = 𝑘 rather than 𝑛 = 1, the integral test is modified as
follows:

If 𝑓 is a function that is continuous, decreasing, and positive valued for all 𝑥 ≥ 𝑘. Then the infinite series
+∞ 𝑏
∑+∞
𝑛=1 𝑓(𝑛) is convergent if the improper integral ∫𝑘 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑑𝑥 exists, and it is divergent if lim ∫𝑘 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑑𝑥 = +∞.
𝑏→+∞

1
Example 9 Determine whether the series is convergent or divergent: ∑+∞
𝑛=2 .
𝑛√ln 𝑛

Exercises

Determine whether the series is convergent or divergent by applying either the comparison test or the limit comparison
test.
1
1. ∑+∞
𝑛=1 𝑛⋅2𝑛
1
2. ∑+∞
𝑛=1 3𝑛 −𝑛
𝑛2
3. ∑+∞
𝑛=1 𝑛3 −3
7
4. ∑+∞
𝑛=2 𝑛(𝑛+1)
3
5. ∑+∞
𝑛=1 √𝑛3 +𝑛

Apply the integral test to determine whether the series is convergent or divergent.
1
1. ∑+∞
𝑛=1 2𝑛1
1
2. ∑+∞
𝑛=1 3
(𝑛+2)2
3. ∑+∞
𝑛=1 𝑒
−5𝑛
𝑛
4. ∑+∞
𝑛=2 𝑛2 −2
1
5. ∑+∞
𝑛=2 𝑛 ln 𝑛