Does the Series Converge with Conditionally Convergent Multipliers?

  • Thread starter Thread starter DEMJ
  • Start date Start date
DEMJ
Messages
43
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



If a_k is decreasing and it's limit is 0 as k \to \infty and \sum_{k+1}^{\infty} b_k converges conditionally, then \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} a_k b_k converges


Homework Equations


This is true or false.


The Attempt at a Solution


I think it is false because if we let a_k = \frac{1}{\sqrt{k}}, b_k= \frac{(-1)^k}{\sqrt{k}} we satisfy our initial conditions but a_k \cdot b_k = \frac{1}{k} so \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} a_k b_k diverges.
Is this correct?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
i think you missed a (-1)^k in the a_k term?
 
that would make a_k b_k = \frac{(-1)^{2k}}{k} which is convergent, I think. I meant what I put but apparently it does not work?
 
isn't it
a_k b_k = \frac{(-1)^{2k}}{k} = \frac{((-1)^2)^k}{k} = \frac{1}{k}

i wasn't sure where the alternating negative went in your 1st post...
 
lanedance said:
isn't it
a_k b_k = \frac{(-1)^{2k}}{k} = \frac{((-1)^2)^k}{k} = \frac{1}{k}

i wasn't sure where the alternating negative went in your 1st post...
You are right, I owned my self by basic algebra :-p
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
Back
Top