"Finite Changes to an Infinite Sequence Do Not Affect its Limit"
What is the limit of the sequence:
{1, 1, 1, .... 1, 2, 2, 2, ....}
(first billion terms are "1" and the rest are "2")
The limit of this seuqence equals _____ Why?____________________________________
What is the limit of the sequence whose first trillion terms are the corresponding digits of pi, and the rest of whose terms are 3.14, and why? ______________________________.
Suppose the limit of {an} is L, and the limit of {bn} is M.
Now let {cn} be such that cn=an for n=1,2,...1000 and such that cn= bn for n=1001,1002,... What is the limit of the sequence {cn}? Why?
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What if cn=an for n even, and cn=bn for n odd?
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What Theorem do these examples suggest? State your own theorem in your own (careful, mathematically precise) terms:
[Your name]: _______________'s Theorem:
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The Sandwich Theorem: If the sequences {an} and {cn} both converge, both approach (converge to) the same limit L, and if for every n one has
then (a) it's guaranteed that {bn} converges and (b) it will converge to L.
Let bn= sin(n)/n. Prove {bn} converges, and what it converges to, using the Sandwich Theorem.
Give a graph of your three functions (sequences):
| y | | | | | | | -------------------------------------------------- x-axis | | | | | | | |
How does this support your calculation? And how does it support the Sandwich Theorem more generally?
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Theorem on Monotone and Bounded Sequences
Use your books if necessary.
A sequence {an} is increasing if
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while it is said to be decreasing if
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A sequence {an} is monotone if
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A sequence {an} is bounded above if
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while a sequence {an} is bounded below if
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A sequence {an} is bounded if
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Theorem:
If a sequence {an} is __________ and __________ then ____________________.
Application:
Prove that the sequence {0.9, 0.99, 0.999, 0.9999, ....} must converge (to some number).
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What do you think it converges to? __________.
(Optional -- for students who have had delta-epsilon definitions:)
How would you "prove" it using the technical definition of limits
of sequences?
(ask your instructor for the N-epsilon definition if you need to).
Your ideas: