Finding the Centre and Radius of Convergence of Power Series: Explained

MissP.25_5
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Hello.
I need someone to explain to me how to find the centre and radius of convergence of power series.
I got the working and the answers but there are some things I don't understand.

$$\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{(4i)^n(z-i)^n}{(n+1)(n+2)}$$

Using the ratio test, we got
$$\lim_{{n}\to{\infty}} \frac{4i(z-i)(n+1)}{n+3}$$=4i(z-i)

Ok, in this part, why is the limit 4i(z-i)? Don't we have to divide all the terms by n?

And the final answer is: $$R=1/4, z=i$$

Why does the centre become i?
 
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A power series expansion is an infinite series
\begin{equation*}
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} a_n (z-c)^n,
\end{equation*}
where ##a_n## are coefficients and ##c \in \mathbb{C}## is the center (the point we are expanding about).

I think you can figure out why
\begin{equation*}
\lim_{n \rightarrow \infty} \frac{4i(z-i)(n+1)}{n+3} = 4i(z-i).
\end{equation*}
The easiest might be to substitute ##k = f(n)##, for some well-chosen function ##f##.
 
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MissP.25_5 said:
Hello.
I need someone to explain to me how to find the centre and radius of convergence of power series.
I got the working and the answers but there are some things I don't understand.

$$\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{(4i)^n(z-i)^n}{(n+1)(n+2)}$$

Using the ratio test, we got
$$\lim_{{n}\to{\infty}} \frac{4i(z-i)(n+1)}{n+3}$$=4i(z-i)
This is incorrect. The "ratio test" only applies to series of non-negative real numbers. In order to apply the ratio test to more general series, you must take the absolute value
\lim{m\to\infty} \frac{4|z- i|(n+1)}{n+ 3}= 4|z- i|\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{n+1}{n+ 3}.

Ok, in this part, why is the limit 4i(z-i)? Don't we have to divide all the terms by n?
Well, what do you get when you "divide all term" of \frac{n+1}{n+ 3} by n?

And the final answer is: $$R=1/4, z=i$$

Why does the centre become i?
The "ratio" test says that series \sum a_n converges if \lim_{n\to\infty}\left|\frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n}\right|< 1. What is \lim_{\n to\infty}4|z- i|\frac{n+1}{n+ 3}? For what values of z is that less than 1?
 
HallsofIvy said:
Well, what do you get when you "divide all term" of \frac{n+1}{n+ 3} by n?


The "ratio" test says that series \sum a_n converges if \lim_{n\to\infty}\left|\frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n}\right|< 1. What is \lim_{\n to\infty}4|z- i|\frac{n+1}{n+ 3}? For what values of z is that less than 1?

The answer to your first question is 1 and for the second, z≤i. Right?
 
"z\le i" doesn't even make sense. The complex numbers are NOT an "ordered" field. You keep forgetting the absolute value!
 
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...

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