Is the power series convergent in the field of p-adic numbers?

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    2015
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SUMMARY

The power series $$\sum\limits_{n = 1}^\infty \frac{(-1)^{n-1}x^n}{n}$$ converges in the field of p-adic numbers, $\Bbb Q_p$, under specific conditions related to the p-adic norm. The convergence domain is determined by the value of the p-adic absolute value of $x$. Specifically, the series converges for $|x|_p < 1$, where $|x|_p$ denotes the p-adic norm. This conclusion is critical for understanding the behavior of power series in non-Archimedean fields.

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  • Understanding of p-adic numbers and their properties
  • Familiarity with power series and their convergence criteria
  • Knowledge of the p-adic norm and its implications
  • Basic concepts of mathematical analysis
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  • Study the properties of p-adic numbers in depth
  • Explore the convergence of power series in various fields
  • Learn about the implications of the p-adic norm on series convergence
  • Investigate other types of series and their behavior in $\Bbb Q_p$
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Mathematicians, students of number theory, and anyone interested in the convergence of series in p-adic analysis will benefit from this discussion.

Euge
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Here is this week's POTW:

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Find the domain of convergence of the power series $$\sum\limits_{n = 1}^\infty \frac{(-1)^{n-1}x^n}{n}$$ in the field $\Bbb Q_p$ of $p$-adic numbers.

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No one answered this week's problem. Here is my solution below.

Since $(|(-1)^{n+1}/n|_p)^{1/n} = (|1/n|_p)^{1/n} = p^{\frac{\text{ord}_p n}{n}} \to 1$ as $n\to \infty$, by the ratio test, the series converges for $|x|_p < 1$ and diverges for $|x|_p > 1$. When $|x|_p = 1$, $|(-1)^{n+1}x^n/n|_p = p^{\text{ord}_p n} \ge 1$ for all $n$, which implies that the series diverges. Hence, the domain of convergence is the open unit disk in $\Bbb Q_p$ centered at $0$, or alternatively the closed disk in $\Bbb Q_p$ centered at $0$ of radius $1/p$.
 

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