Cauchy's Integral Test for Convergence

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around proving the inequality $$ \sum_{1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{2} + 1} < \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{4}\pi $$ using Cauchy's Integral Test for convergence. Participants explore various methods and approaches to understand the convergence of the series and the limits involved.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested, Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents a method involving Cauchy's Convergence Integral, detailing the construction of decreasing functions and the evaluation of limits.
  • The same participant expresses uncertainty about the equality in their initial claim and seeks clarification on the limits and the role of the term "one" in the inequality.
  • Another participant suggests an alternative approach to demonstrate the inequality, referencing the well-known result related to the Basel problem.
  • A third participant mentions the exact value of the series as $$\frac{\pi}{2}\text{coth}(\pi)$$, noting its interesting nature but not its utility in resolving the current inquiry.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the methods or the specific limits involved in the original claim. Multiple approaches are presented, and uncertainty remains regarding the correctness of the initial method.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the dependence on the assumptions made in the original method, the potential for misinterpretation of the limits, and the unresolved nature of the mathematical steps leading to the inequality.

samgrace
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Hello,

I am want to prove that: $$ \sum_{1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^{2} + 1} < \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{4}\pi $$

Cauchy's Convergence Integral

If a function decreases as n tends to get large, say f(x), we can obtain decreasing functions of x, such that:

$$ f(\nu - 1) \geqslant f(x) \geqslant f(\nu) $$

where

$$ {\nu - 1 \leqslant x \leqslant \nu} $$

we then let:

$$ V_{\nu} = f(\nu-1) - \int^{\nu}_{\nu-1} f(x) .dx = \int^{\nu}_{\nu-1} f(\nu-1) - f(x) .dx $$

to give the values of the constraints;

$$ 0 \leqslant V_{\nu} \leqslant f(\nu-1) - f(\nu) $$

My understanding of this is that V sub nu is a value of the limit for each evaluated interval, thus it would be less than the evaluation itself. The next step is

We take the sum of V sub nu, and this should have the constraint;

$$ V_{2} + V_{3} + ... + V_{n} \leqslant f(1) - f(n) \leqslant f(1) $$

Which is in my attempt, then the final part which I think I'm not understand correctly:

V sub nu is then convergent to a positive limit as n -> infinity:

$$ \sum_{1}^{n-1} V_{\nu} - \int^{n}_{1} f(x) .dx \leqslant f(1)$$

thus as the function decreases as n tends to get large:

$$ f(1) + f(2) + ... + f(n) $$

It may or may not converge, just as:

$$ \int^{n}_{1} f(x) .dx $$

does or does not tend to the limit l as n --> infinity.

then

Of which I can't get the equality displayed at the start. My attempt

With values for nu:

$$ \nu = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 $$

with the x between the integer increment to be half the interval:

$$ x = 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5. $$

I obtained values for the limit of each interval evaluation:

$$ V_{1} = 0.2 \\ V_{2}= 0.19 \\ V_{3} = 0.06 \\ V_{4} = 0.02 \\ V_{5} = 0.011 $$

Then the constraint:

$$ V_{2} + V_{3} + V_{n} \leqslant f(1) - f(n) \leqslant f(1) $$

holds as;

$$ 0.281 \leqslant 0.4615 \leqslant 0.5 $$

So the intergrand taken for n=x=5:

$$ \sum_{1}^{n-1} V_{\nu} - \int^{n}_{1} f(x) .dx $$

equals:

$$ 0.281 - 0.153 = 0.128 $$

Where

$$ \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{4}\pi = 1.128 $$

Can anyone tell me where the one comes in? I thought it was the the truncated series of V sub nu.

It works if you add in the f(0) term:

$$ f(0) + \sum_{1}^{n-1} V_{\nu} - \int^{n}_{1} f(x) .dx \leqslant f(1) $$

$$ 1 + 0.281 - 0.153 = 1.128 $$I hope this makes sense and someone can clarify the limits to me.
 
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Since you haven't gotten that many replies so far I thought I add another way of showing the inequality. I can't help you with the method you're using.

##\sum_1^\infty \frac{1}{n^2+1} \le -\frac{1}{2}+\sum_1^\infty \frac{1}{n^2}##
where the last sum is well known https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basel_problem
 
The exact answer is ##\frac{\pi}{2}\text{coth}(\pi)## by the way. That doesn't help, but it's neat to know.
 

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