MHB Calculate Limit - Is There a Special Rule?

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The discussion focuses on calculating limits using integrals and series approximations. Participants explore the relationship between summation and integration, particularly using integrals to establish bounds for series. They discuss the correct approach to finding antiderivatives and the importance of proper substitution in integration. The conversation culminates in confirming that the limit of a specific integral leads to the result of arctan values, emphasizing the need for careful execution of mathematical steps. The final conclusion is that the limit calculation yields the correct answer of arctan(6) - arctan(2).
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Calculate limit

bb6a58247d32b382ac0de67482c7e61.png


I have none progress, Is there any special rule for this limit?
 
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Petrus said:
Calculate limit

bb6a58247d32b382ac0de67482c7e61.png


I have none progress, Is there any special rule for this limit?


You can find a lower and upper bound with an integral.
 
I like Serena said:
You can find a lower and upper bound with an integral.
Huh? What you mean?
 
Petrus said:
Calculate limit

bb6a58247d32b382ac0de67482c7e61.png


I have none progress, Is there any special rule for this limit?


You can approximate a series with an integral:
$$\sum_{k=a}^b f(k) \approx \int_{a-\frac 1 2}^{b+\frac 1 2}f(x)dx$$
More specifically, if f(x) is a strictly descending function, you have:
$$\int_{a}^{b+1}f(x)dx < \sum_{k=a}^b f(k) < \int_{a-1}^{b}f(x)dx$$
 
Here's a picture that is somewhat indicative of how it works.

300px-Integral_Test.svg.png


In this example the area of the rectangles is an upper bound of the integral of the function (starting from 1 in this case).
The area of the rectangles is equal to the series of the function.
 
I like Serena said:
You can approximate a series with an integral:
$$\sum_{k=a}^b f(k) \approx \int_{a-\frac 1 2}^{b+\frac 1 2}f(x)dx$$
More specifically, if f(x) is a strictly descending function, you have:
$$\int_{a}^{b+1}f(x)dx < \sum_{k=a}^b f(k) < \int_{a-1}^{b}f(x)dx$$
So if I got this correct.
I will have
$$\int_{2n-\frac{1}{2}}^{6n+\frac{1}{2}}\frac{n}{k^2+n^2}dk$$ or what shall I integrate to respect?
 
Petrus said:
So if I got this correct.
I will have
$$\int_{2n-\frac{1}{2}}^{6n+\frac{1}{2}}\frac{n}{k^2+n^2}dk$$ or what shall I integrate to respect?

Yep. That's it.
 
So if I just antiderivate that It Will be $$\frac{3n}{k^3}$$ Is that correct?
 
Petrus said:
So if I just antiderivate that It Will be $$\frac{3n}{k^3}$$ Is that correct?

Nope.
Consider what the derivative of $$\frac{3n}{k^3}$$ is with respect to k.
It's $-3 \cdot \dfrac{3n}{k^4} \ne \dfrac{n}{k^2+n^2}$
 
  • #10
I like Serena said:
Nope.
Consider what the derivative of $$\frac{3n}{k^3}$$ is with respect to k.
It's $-3 \cdot \dfrac{3n}{k^4} \ne \dfrac{n}{k^2+n^2}$
hmm... $$\frac{n}{k+n^2}$$ that is what I get
 
  • #11
Petrus said:
hmm... $$\frac{n}{k+n^2}$$ that is what I get

Can you show your steps starting from $$\frac{d}{dk}\left(\frac {3n}{k^3}\right)$$ then?
 
  • #12
I like Serena said:
Can you show your steps starting from $$\frac{d}{dk}\left(\frac {3n}{k^3}\right)$$ then?
I have problem at imagine the other as a constant and then antiderivate/derivate.. but if you ask $$\frac{3}{k^3} <=>3*\frac{1}{k^3} <=> 3*k^{-3}$$ so the derivate is $$-9k^{-4} <=> \frac{-9}{k^4}$$
 
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  • #13
Petrus said:
I have problem at imagine the other as a constant and then antiderivate/derivate.. but if you ask $$\frac{3}{k^3} <=>3*\frac{1}{k^3} <=> 3*k^{-3}$$ so the derivate is $$-9k^{-4} <=> \frac{-9}{k^4}$$

Correct! :)

In your problem the integral is calculated while keeping n constant.
This means that you can treat n in just the same way as you treated the number 3.
So $$\frac{d}{dk}\left(\frac{3n}{k^3}\right) = \frac{-9n}{k^4} \ne \frac{n}{k^2+n^2}$$.So let's do this first with:
$$\int \frac{3}{x^2+3^2}dx$$
Can you find this anti-derivative?
 
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  • #14
I like Serena said:
Correct! :)

In your problem the integral is calculated while keeping n constant.
This means that you can treat n in just the same way as you treated the number 3.
So $$\frac{d}{dk}\left(\frac{3}{k^3}\right) = \frac{-9n}{k^4} \ne \frac{n}{k^2+n^2}$$.So let's do this first with:
$$\int \frac{3}{x^2+3^2}dx$$
Can you find this anti-derivative?
Nop. But when I look in my book it looks like it will be $$\arctan$$

- - - Updated - - -

Petrus said:
Nop. But when I look in my book it looks like it will be $$\arctan$$
or Wait I think I got it now!
 
  • #15
Petrus said:
Nop. But when I look in my book it looks like it will be $$\arctan$$

- - - Updated - - -or Wait I think I got it now!
$$\frac{3}{x^2+3^2}$$ if we factour out 3 from top and bot we get $$\frac{3}{3}\int\frac{1}{\frac{x^2}{3}+1^2}$$ so our integrate become $$\frac{3}{3}\arctan{\frac{x}{3}}$$ Is this correct?
 
  • #16
Petrus said:
$$\frac{3}{x^2+3^2}$$ if we factour out 3 from top and bot we get $$\frac{3}{3}\int\frac{1}{\frac{x^2}{3}+1^2}$$ so our integrate become $$\frac{3}{3}\arctan{\frac{x}{3}}$$ Is this correct?

Almost.
But your factoring out isn't quite right.
You seem to have made a mistake with the squaring part.

What do you get if you differentiate $$\frac{3}{3}\arctan{\frac{x}{3}}$$?
 
  • #17
I like Serena said:
Almost.
But your factoring out isn't quite right.
You seem to have made a mistake with the squaring part.

What do you get if you differentiate $$\frac{3}{3}\arctan{\frac{x}{3}}$$?
im confused now haha. 3/3=1 so we got $$\arctan{\frac{x}{3}}$$
edit: if I got this right It is wrong cause if we use chain rule we get $$\frac{1}{x^2+1}\frac{1}{3}$$ and that is not same hmm.. how I integrate that then?
 
  • #18
Petrus said:
im confused now haha. 3/3=1 so we got $$\arctan{\frac{x}{3}}$$
edit: if I got this right It is wrong cause if we use chain rule we get $$\frac{1}{x^2+1}\frac{1}{3}$$ and that is not same hmm.. how I integrate that then?

First fix the factoring out.
Your idea is correct, but you execution is not.

Then substitute u=x/3 (or equivalently x=3u).

(Btw, you did correctly find the derivative of $$\arctan{\frac{x}{3}}$$. It should give you a hint what the proper anti-derivative is.)
 
  • #19
I like Serena said:
First fix the factoring out.
Your idea is correct, but you execution is not.

Then substitute u=x/3 (or equivalently x=3u).
Ok now I got pretty unsure. it should be $$\frac{1/3}{1/3}$$ that I factour 1/3 from top and botom
 
  • #20
Petrus said:
Ok now I got pretty unsure. it should be $$\frac{1/3}{1/3}$$ that I factour 1/3 from top and botom

Note that $$\frac{3^2}{3} \ne 1^2$$.
And if you don't believe me, try calculating both. ;)
 
  • #21
I like Serena said:
Note that $$\frac{3^2}{3} \ne 1^2$$.
And if you don't believe me, try calculating both. ;)
That make sense.. I believe and can see that.. so I should have $$\frac{3}{3}\int\frac{1}{\frac{x^2}{3}+\frac{1^2}{1^2}}$$ and it will give me same result with $$\arctan{\frac{x}{3}}$$ is that correct?
 
  • #22
Petrus said:
That make sense.. I believe and can see that.. so I should have $$\frac{3}{3}\int\frac{1}{\frac{x^2}{3}+\frac{1^2}{1^2}}$$ and it will give me same result with $$\arctan{\frac{x}{3}}$$ is that correct?

No... since $$\frac{3^2}{3} \ne \frac{1^2}{1^2}$$ as well.

- - - Updated - - -

You have $$\frac{3}{x^2+3^2} = \frac{3}{3}\cdot\frac{1}{\frac{x^2}{3}+\frac{3^2}{3}}$$

But what you want is something like $$\frac{1}{(\frac{x}{3})^2+1}$$
 
  • #23
I like Serena said:
No... since $$\frac{3^2}{3} \ne \frac{1^2}{1^2}$$ as well.

- - - Updated - - -

You have $$\frac{3}{x^2+3^2} = \frac{3}{3}\cdot\frac{1}{\frac{x^2}{3}+\frac{3^2}{3}}$$

But what you want is something like $$\frac{1}{(\frac{x}{3})^2+1}$$
Do you mean
$$\frac{1}{(\frac{3x}{3})^2+1}$$
 
  • #24
Petrus said:
Do you mean
$$\frac{1}{(\frac{3x}{3})^2+1}$$


Huh? No.

I mean something like:
$$\frac{3}{x^2+3^2} = \frac{3}{3^2(\frac{x^2}{3^2}+\frac{3^2}{3^2})} = \frac{3}{3^2} \cdot \frac{1}{\frac{x^2}{3^2}+\frac{3^2}{3^2}}$$
 
  • #25
I like Serena said:
Huh? No.

I mean something like:
$$\frac{3}{x^2+3^2} = \frac{3}{3^2(\frac{x^2}{3^2}+\frac{3^2}{3^2})} = \frac{3}{3^2} \cdot \frac{1}{\frac{x^2}{3^2}+\frac{3^2}{3^2}}$$
Thanks.
So now we got $$\frac{3}{3^2}\int\frac{1}{\frac{x^2}{3^2}+\frac{3^2}{3^2}}$$ and if we subsitute $$u=\frac{x}{3}$$ we got $$\frac{3}{3^2}\int\frac{1}{u^2+1}$$ so we got $$\frac{3}{3^2}\arctan{u}$$
 
  • #26
Petrus said:
Thanks.
So now we got $$\frac{3}{3^2}\int\frac{1}{\frac{x^2}{3^2}+\frac{3^2}{3^2}}$$ and if we subsitute $$u=\frac{x}{3}$$ we got $$\frac{3}{3^2}\int\frac{1}{u^2+1}$$ so we got $$\frac{3}{3^2}\arctan{u}$$

Not so fast.

$$\int \frac{3}{x^2+3^2}dx = \int \frac{3}{3^2} \cdot \frac{1}{\frac{x^2}{3^2}+\frac{3^2}{3^2}}dx
= \int \frac{1}{3} \cdot \frac{1}{(\frac{x}{3})^2+1}dx$$
We are going substitute $$u=\frac{x}{3}$$.
This means that $$du=\frac{dx}{3}$$.

Substituting gives:
$$\int \frac{1}{3} \cdot \frac{1}{(\frac{x}{3})^2+1}dx = \int \frac{1}{u^2+1}du$$
 
  • #27
I like Serena said:
Not so fast.

$$\int \frac{3}{x^2+3^2}dx = \int \frac{3}{3^2} \cdot \frac{1}{\frac{x^2}{3^2}+\frac{3^2}{3^2}}dx
= \int \frac{1}{3} \cdot \frac{1}{(\frac{x}{3})^2+1}dx$$
We are going substitute $$u=\frac{x}{3}$$.
This means that $$du=\frac{dx}{3}$$.

Substituting gives:
$$\int \frac{1}{3} \cdot \frac{1}{(\frac{x}{3})^2+1}dx = \int \frac{1}{u^2+1}du$$
now I integrade and put our limits?
 
  • #28
Petrus said:
now I integrade and put our limits?

I think so...
 
  • #29
I like Serena said:
I think so...
Hmm... when I do that and subsitute our limits to $$[\arctan{u}]_{\frac{4n-1}{6}}^{\frac{12n+1}{6}}$$ we get and then calculate limit we get $$\arctan(infinity)-arctan(infinty)$$ the answer shall be $$\arctan(6)-\arctan(2)$$ I am doing something wrong?
 
  • #30
Petrus said:
Hmm... when I do that and subsitute our limits to $$[\arctan{u}]_{\frac{4n-1}{6}}^{\frac{12n+1}{6}}$$ we get and then calculate limit we get $$\arctan(infinity)-arctan(infinty)$$ the answer shall be $$\arctan(6)-\arctan(2)$$ I am doing something wrong?

Hold on. Not so fast.
You're skipping a couple of steps.

You wanted to calculate
$$\int_{2n - \frac 1 2}^{6n + \frac 1 2} \frac{n}{k^2+n^2} dk$$

What you now have, is (note the last back substitution to x):
$$\int \frac{3}{x^2+3^2}dx = \int \frac{1}{u^2+1}du = \arctan u + C = \arctan \frac x 3 + C$$

First you need to generalize that to the actual integral that contains n.

Then you can (carefully!) substitute the boundaries.

And only then can you calculate the limit for n to infinity.
 

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