Proving Euler's Formula using infinite series.

In summary, the conversation is about trying to prove that both sine and cosine are absolutely convergent. The proof presented is using the power series definition of the exponential function to show that it is absolutely convergent. The conversation also discusses the use of various convergence tests and the importance of absolute convergence in the proof. It is revealed that the proof holds true even if sine and cosine were conditionally convergent, but it is ultimately shown that this is not the case by the definition of absolute convergence. The conversation ends with a suggestion to use the ratio test to prove the absolute convergence of the exponential function.
  • #1
Bruce3
2
0

Homework Statement


I need to show that both sin(x) and cos(x) are absolutely convergent.

Here's my work so far,

Theorem:
ℯix = cos(x) + i*sin(x) (1)
Proof:
This proof will be one using the power series. Note:
i = i, i^2 = -1 i^3 = -i, i^4 = 1, i^5 = i i^6 = -1 i^7 = -i i^8 = 1, etc. for all positive integers
and that the infinite series for sin(x) and cos(x), from the Taylor Series, are as follows:
sin(x) = 1 - x^2/2! + x^4/4! - x^6/6! + x^8/8! - x^10/10! + …
cos(x) = x/1! - x^3/3! + x^5/5! - x^7/7! + x^9/9! - x^11/11! + ...
Using the power series definition for ℯz, we can say that the power series could be written as:
ℯ^(z) = 1 + z/1! + z^2/2! + z^3/3! + z^4/4! + … + The infinite sum, starting at 0, of z^n/n!
Using equation (2), Euler did, and we will using ix for our exponent, and treat the imaginary i product with x as a real number. This gives:
ℯix = 1/0! + ix/1! + (ix)2/2! + (ix)3/3! + (ix)4/4! + … + The infinite sum, starting at 0, of z^n/n!
This gives the result of:
ℯ^(ix) = 1 + ix/1! -x^2/2! - ix^3/3! + x^4/4! + ix^5/5! -x^6/6! - ix^7/7! + x^8/8! + ...
We can separate the terms to be such that:
ℯ^(ix) = (1 - x^2/2! + x^4/4! -x^6/6! + x^8/8! - …) + (ix/1! - ix^3/3! + ix^5/5! - ix^7/7! + ... )
If we separate the term i out of the terms containing i we can see
ℯ^(ix) = (1 - x^2/2! + x^4/4! -x^6/6! + x^8/8! - …) + i(x/1! - x^3/3! + x^5/5! - x^7/7! + ... )
Interestingly, we can see that the series that has i as a factor and the other that is not, are both infinite series. The former being sin(x) and the latter being cos(x). The only thing we need to prove is that the two series are absolutely convergent.
From Calculus we know that there is a theorem to test absolute convergence:
By looking at the series ℯx we can determine if cos(x) converges absolutely. To do that we have the following rule.


...
A series is absolutely convergent if the sum of the absolute values of the terms is also convergent.
Which means that we can express ℯix as:
ℯix = cos(x) + i*sin(x)
Which is what we were trying to prove.


Homework Equations



All forms of convergence tests (i.e. Ratio Test, Integral Test, Alternating Series test etc.)

The Attempt at a Solution



I have tried to use all three tests, but have failed. Any help is very appreciated.
I know that e^(x) is absolutely convergent I'm just trying to make the connection.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
So just to see if I'm understanding your problem, you're just having trouble showing that sin and cosine are absolutely convergant?

Well, let's look at this.

[itex] \sum_{n \mathop = 0}^\infty \left|{\left({-1}\right)^n \frac {x^{2n}}{\left({2n}\right)!}}\right| = \sum_{n \mathop = 0}^\infty \frac {\left|{x}\right|^{2n}}{\left({2n}\right)!} [/itex]

Next step is to realize that the right hand side is simply the even terms of this series below.

[itex] \sum_{n \mathop = 0}^\infty \frac {\left|{x}\right|^n}{n!} [/itex]

From here, I hope you can finish making the last two final connections you need!
 
  • #3
MarneMath said:
So just to see if I'm understanding your problem, you're just having trouble showing that sin and cosine are absolutely convergant?

Well, let's look at this.

[itex] \sum_{n \mathop = 0}^\infty \left|{\left({-1}\right)^n \frac {x^{2n}}{\left({2n}\right)!}}\right| = \sum_{n \mathop = 0}^\infty \frac {\left|{x}\right|^{2n}}{\left({2n}\right)!} [/itex]

Next step is to realize that the right hand side is simply the even terms of this series below.

[itex] \sum_{n \mathop = 0}^\infty \frac {\left|{x}\right|^n}{n!} [/itex]

From here, I hope you can finish making the last two final connections you need!

You do not need the absolute convergence of sine and cosine for this proof, the absolute convergence of the exponential function suffices. The proof holds true even if sine and cosine were conditionally convergent (which they are not.)
 
  • #4
I'm aware, I was mostly focusing on this aspect of the OP's problem:

"The only thing we need to prove is that the two series are absolutely convergent."

Of course, it's easy to show by the ratio test that exp[x] is absolutely convergent, but why go the easy route.

Edit:

"The proof holds true even if sine and cosine were conditionally convergent "

Actually, I'm not sure if this is true generally speaking. I'm willing to say that by the definition of absolute convergences this can be shown to not be true. A non-negative series cannot converge if there exist a non-negative sub sequence that does not converge.
 
Last edited:

1. What is Euler's Formula?

Euler's Formula is a mathematical equation that relates the complex exponential function to the trigonometric functions. It states that e^(ix) = cos(x) + i*sin(x), where e is the base of the natural logarithm, i is the imaginary unit, and x is the angle in radians.

2. How is Euler's Formula proven using infinite series?

Euler's Formula can be proven using infinite series by expanding the complex exponential function into a Taylor series and then substituting in the values for i and x. This results in the equation e^(ix) = 1 + ix + (ix)^2/2! + (ix)^3/3! + ... = cos(x) + i*sin(x), which is equivalent to Euler's Formula.

3. What is a Taylor series?

A Taylor series is a mathematical representation of a function as an infinite sum of terms. It is used to approximate a function by finding the values of its derivatives at a particular point and then using those values to calculate the subsequent terms in the series.

4. Why is an infinite series used to prove Euler's Formula?

An infinite series is used to prove Euler's Formula because it allows for a more accurate and precise representation of the complex exponential function. By using an infinite number of terms in the series, we can achieve a more precise approximation of the function, resulting in a more accurate proof of Euler's Formula.

5. Are there any other methods to prove Euler's Formula?

Yes, there are other methods to prove Euler's Formula, such as using complex analysis or differential equations. However, using infinite series is one of the most commonly used and straightforward methods for proving Euler's Formula.

Similar threads

  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
251
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
359
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
814
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
204
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
10
Views
935
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
179
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
410
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
301
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
704
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
279
Back
Top