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Questions tagged [sequences-and-series]

For questions concerning sequences and series. Typical questions concern, but are not limited to: identifying sequences, identifying terms, recurrence relations, $\epsilon-N$ proofs of convergence, convergence tests, finding closed forms for sums. For questions on finite sums, use the (summation) tag instead.

100 votes
14 answers
54k views

How to find a general sum formula for the series: 5+55+555+5555+.....?

I have a question about finding the sum formula of n-th terms. Here's the series: $5+55+555+5555$+...... What is the general formula to find the sum of n-th terms? My attempts: I think I need to ...
akusaja's user avatar
  • 2,551
99 votes
6 answers
9k views

Can the product of infinitely many elements from $\mathbb Q$ be irrational?

I know there are infinite sums of rational values, which are irrational (for example the Basel Problem). But I was wondering, whether the product of infinitely many rational numbers can be irrational. ...
Mister Set's user avatar
  • 1,257
97 votes
2 answers
34k views

Predicting Real Numbers

Here is an astounding riddle that at first seems impossible to solve. I'm certain the axiom of choice is required in any solution, and I have an outline of one possible solution, but would like to ...
97 votes
2 answers
2k views

When does a sequence of rotated-and-circumscribed rectangles converge to a square?

Recently I came up with an algebra problem with a nice geometric representation. Basically, I would like to know what happens if we repeatedly circumscribe a rectangle by another rectangle which is ...
samgiz's user avatar
  • 773
95 votes
2 answers
6k views

Prove elementarily that $\sqrt[n+1] {(n+1)!} - \sqrt[n] {n!}$ is strictly decreasing

Prove without calculus that the sequence $$L_{n}=\sqrt[n+1] {(n+1)!} - \sqrt[n] {n!}, \space n\in \mathbb N$$ is strictly decreasing.
user 1591719's user avatar
  • 44.4k
93 votes
6 answers
3k views

Contest problem: Show $\sum_{n = 1}^\infty \frac{n^2a_n}{(a_1+\cdots+a_n)^2}<\infty$ s.t., $a_i>0$, $\sum_{n = 1}^\infty \frac{1}{a_n}<\infty$ [closed]

The following is probably a math contest problem. I have been unable to locate the original source. Suppose that $\{a_i\}$ is a sequence of positive real numbers and the series $\displaystyle\sum_{n ...
Potato's user avatar
  • 40.5k
92 votes
4 answers
6k views

How to prove that $\frac{\zeta(2) }{2}+\frac{\zeta (4)}{2^3}+\frac{\zeta (6)}{2^5}+\frac{\zeta (8)}{2^7}+\cdots=1$?

How can one prove this identity? $$\frac{\zeta(2) }{2}+\frac{\zeta (4)}{2^3}+\frac{\zeta (6)}{2^5}+\frac{\zeta (8)}{2^7}+\cdots=1$$ There is a formula for $\zeta$ values at even integers, but it ...
E.H.E's user avatar
  • 23.4k
90 votes
8 answers
19k views

Is there a size of rectangle that retains its ratio when it's folded in half?

A hypothetical (and maybe practical) question has been nagging at me. If you had a piece of paper with dimensions 4 and 3 (4:3), folding it in half along the long side (once) would result in 2 inches ...
Pyraminx's user avatar
  • 1,011
89 votes
4 answers
46k views

Every subsequence of $x_n$ has a further subsequence which converges to $x$. Then the sequence $x_n$ converges to $x$.

Is the following true? Let $x_n$ be a sequence with the following property: Every subsequence of $x_n$ has a further subsequence which converges to $x$. Then the sequence $x_n$ converges to $x$. I ...
gulim's user avatar
  • 933
88 votes
9 answers
10k views

Generalized Euler sum $\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{H_n}{n^q}$

I found the following formula $$\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{H_n}{n^q}= \left(1+\frac{q}{2} \right)\zeta(q+1)-\frac{1}{2}\sum_{k=1}^{q-2}\zeta(k+1)\zeta(q-k)$$ and it is cited that Euler proved the ...
Zaid Alyafeai's user avatar
86 votes
5 answers
24k views

Limit of the nested radical $x_{n+1} = \sqrt{c+x_n}$

(Fitzpatrick Advanced Calculus 2e, Sec. 2.4 #12) For $c \gt 0$, consider the quadratic equation $x^2 - x - c = 0, x > 0$. Define the sequence $\{x_n\}$ recursively by fixing $|x_1| \lt c$ and then, ...
cnuulhu's user avatar
  • 1,005
86 votes
1 answer
2k views

Conjectured formula for the Fabius function

The Fabius function is the unique function ${\bf F}:\mathbb R\to[-1, 1]$ satisfying the following conditions: a functional–integral equation$\require{action} \require{enclose}{^{\texttip{\dagger}{a ...
Vladimir Reshetnikov's user avatar
85 votes
0 answers
2k views

Regular way to fill a $1\times1$ square with $\frac{1}{n}\times\frac{1}{n+1}$ rectangles?

The series $$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{1}{n(n+1)}=1$$ suggests it might be possible to tile a $1\times1$ square with nonrepeated rectangles of the form $\frac{1}{n}\times\frac{1}{n+1}$. Is there a ...
2'5 9'2's user avatar
  • 55.1k
84 votes
3 answers
11k views

Convergence of $\sqrt{n}x_{n}$ where $x_{n+1} = \sin(x_{n})$

Consider the sequence defined as $x_1 = 1$ $x_{n+1} = \sin x_n$ I think I was able to show that the sequence $\sqrt{n} x_{n}$ converges to $\sqrt{3}$ by a tedious elementary method which I wasn't ...
Aryabhata's user avatar
  • 82.6k
82 votes
3 answers
4k views

How to find this limit: $A=\lim_{n\to \infty}\sqrt{1+\sqrt{\frac{1}{2}+\sqrt{\frac{1}{3}+\cdots+\sqrt{\frac{1}{n}}}}}$

Question: Show that $$A=\lim_{n\to \infty}\sqrt{1+\sqrt{\dfrac{1}{2}+\sqrt{\dfrac{1}{3}+\cdots+\sqrt{\dfrac{1}{n}}}}}$$ exists, and find the best estimate limit $A$. It is easy to show that ...
math110's user avatar
  • 93.6k

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