Department of Mathematics, IIT Madras

MA-1010: Assignment Sheet - I

August 2013
1. Let (an ) be a sequence of real numbers which converges to a, i.e., an a as n . Prove:
(a) |an a| 0

and |an | |a| as

n .

(b) If |a| > 0, then there exists k N such that |an | > |a|/2 for all n k.
2. Suppose an a and an 0 for all n N. Show that a 0 and

an

a.

3. In each of the following, establish the convergence or divergence of the sequence (an ), where an
is:
(i)

n
n+1

(ii)

(1)n n
n+1

(iii)

2n
,
3n2 + 1

(iv)

2n2 + 3
.
3n2 + 1

4. Suppose (an ) is a real sequence such that an 0 as n . Show the following:

(a) The sequence (a2n ) converges to 0.
(b) If an > 0 for all n, then the sequence (1/an ) diverges to infinity.
5. Let (an ) be a sequence defined recursively by an+2 = an+1 + an , n N, with a1 = a2 = 1. Show
that (an ) diverges to .
6. For n N, let an =

n+1

n. Show that (an ) and ( nan ) are convergent sequences. Find

their limits.
7. For n N, let xn =

Pn

1
k=1 n+k .

Show that (xn ) is convergent.

8. Prove the following:

(a) If (an ) is increasing and unbounded, then an + as n .
(b) If (an ) is decreasing and unbounded, then an as n .
9. Let a1 = 1 and an+1 =

2 + an for all n N. Show that (an ) converges. Also, find its limit.

10. Let a1 = 1 and an+1 = 41 (2an + 3) for all n N. Show that (an ) is monotonically increasing
and bounded above. Find its limit.
11. Let a1 = 1 and an+1 =

an
for all n N. Show that (an ) converges. Find its limit.
1 + an

12. Suppose (an ) is a sequence such that the subsequences (a2n1 ) and (a2n ) converge to the same
limit, say a. Show that (an ) also converges to a.
13. Let (an ) be a monotonically increasing sequence such that (a3n ) is bounded. Is (an ) convergent?
Why?

14. Let (an ) be defined by

a1 = 1,

an+1 =

2an + 3
,
4

n = 1, 2, . . . .

Show that (an ) is monotonically increasing and bounded above. Also, find its limit.
{Hint: Observe: an+1 an an 23 , and show that that an 3/2 for all n N.}
15. Let (an ) be defined by
a1 = 2,

an+1

1
=
2

2
an +
an


,

n = 1, 2, . . . .

Show that (an ) is monotonically decreasing and bounded below. Also, find its limit.



{Hint: Observe: an+1 := 21 an + a2n an a2n 2 and show that an 2 n N. }

16. Give an example in support of the statement:
If (an ) is a sequence such that an+1 an 0 as n , then (an ) need not converge.
17. Let a > 0 and
xn =

an an
,
an + an

n N.

For what values of a the sequence (xn ) is (i) convergent? (ii) divergent?
18. For 0 < a < b, let
an = (an + bn )1/n ,

n N.

Show that (an ) converges to b.

{Hint: Note that (an + bn )1/n = b(1 +

a n 1/n
) .}
b

19. For 0 < a < b, let

an + bn
, nN
2
with a1 = a, b1 = b. Show that (an ) and (bn ) converge to the same limit.
an+1 = (an bn )1/2

and bn+1 =

{Hint: First observe that an an+1 bn+1 bn for all n N.}

20. Let a1 = 1/2 and b = 1, and for n N, let
an+1 = (an bn )1/2 ,

bn+1 =

2an bn
.
a n + bn

Show that (an ) and (bn ) converge to the same limit.

{Hint: First observe that bn bn+1 an+1 an for all n N.}