Understanding Radius of Convergence in Power Series: A Graphical Approach

In summary, the radius of convergence of a power series may not necessarily be equal to the radius of convergence of its derivative or integral. If the power series converges uniformly at its end points, then the radius of convergence of its derivative or integral will be the same. However, if the power series does not converge at one or both end points, the radius of convergence of its derivative or integral may be smaller than the original function's radius of convergence.
  • #1
physicsnoob93
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Hi. Not really a homework question. Just a doubt i would like to confirm.

Is the radius of convergence of a power series always equal to the radius of convergence of it's primitive or when its differentiated?

I have done a few examples and have noticed this. I am trying to understand this graphically and what i have been able to interpret is that when a graph is differentiable at a certain interval (the radius of convergence), it's differential will also exist at that interval. Is this correct? or is there more to it?

Thanks in advance.

 
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  • #2
Not necessarily. If a power series converges, not only inside the radius of converges but also at the end points, then it converges uniformly and so the series formed by differentiating term by term or integrating term by term must also converge on that same interval. However, if a power series does not converge at one or both end points, then it does NOT converge uniformly within the radius of convergence and the radius of convergence of its term by term derivative or term by term integral may be smaller than the radius of convergence of the original function.
 

1. What is the radius of convergence?

The radius of convergence is a mathematical concept used in power series to determine the interval of values for which the series converges to a specific value.

2. How is the radius of convergence calculated?

The radius of convergence is calculated using the ratio test, where the limit of the absolute value of the ratio of consecutive terms in the series is taken as the number of terms approaches infinity.

3. What is the significance of the radius of convergence?

The radius of convergence is important because it tells us the range of values for which the power series will converge to a specific value. It also helps us determine if a power series is valid for a given value or not.

4. Can the radius of convergence be negative?

No, the radius of convergence can only be a positive value or infinity. A negative radius of convergence would not make mathematical sense as it represents the distance from the center of convergence to the edge, which cannot be negative.

5. What happens when the radius of convergence is infinite?

When the radius of convergence is infinite, it means that the power series converges for all values of the variable. This is also known as a convergent series, which means that the series has a finite limit as the number of terms approaches infinity.

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