Is This Series Divergent? Geometric Series Manipulation and Long Term Behavior

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In summary, the conversation revolves around finding the convergence or divergence of a series involving negative and positive exponents. The person asking the question presents their solution method and wonders if it is valid. The expert responds by confirming the legality of the manipulations, but suggests considering the long term behavior of the terms. The person asking the question expresses their appreciation for the new perspective.
  • #1
iRaid
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Homework Statement


Well I have a series that I solved one way, but my professor solved another and I'm wondering if my way is ok.
[tex]\sum\limits_{n=1}^\infty \frac{(-5)^{2n}}{n^{2}9^{n}}[/tex]

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


Alright well I started out by changing it to:
[tex]\sum\limits_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{n^{2}}(\frac{(-5)^{2n}}{9^{n}})=\sum\limits_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{n^{2}}(\frac{25}{9})^{n}[/tex]

So I concluded since the second part is a geometric series with r>1, it's divergent.

Is this allowed?
 
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  • #2
Your manipulations are legal, but how do you conclude that just because the "second part" of the series is divergent, that the entire series is divergent. There is, after all, a factor of [itex] \frac{1}{n^2} [/itex] that reduces each term. You could look at long term behavior of the terms however and note that [itex] \displaystyle\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} {\frac{(\frac{25}{9})^n}{n^2}} = \infty [/itex].
 
  • #3
HS-Scientist said:
Your manipulations are legal, but how do you conclude that just because the "second part" of the series is divergent, that the entire series is divergent. There is, after all, a factor of [itex] \frac{1}{n^2} [/itex] that reduces each term. You could look at long term behavior of the terms however and note that [itex] \displaystyle\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} {\frac{(\frac{25}{9})^n}{n^2}} = \infty [/itex].

Very interesting, never thought about doing that. Could of just done the standard ratio test, which I think would work out easier, but hey this is a good way to do this problem I think.

Thanks.
 

What is a series?

A series is a sequence of numbers or terms that are added together in a specific order.

What types of series are there?

There are various types of series, including arithmetic series, geometric series, and harmonic series.

Is it allowed to manipulate a series?

Yes, it is allowed to manipulate a series by using different mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

What is the purpose of studying series?

Studying series allows us to better understand the concept of infinite sums and their applications in various fields such as mathematics, physics, and economics.

Are there any real-world applications of series?

Yes, series have many real-world applications such as calculating compound interest, predicting population growth, and analyzing stock market trends.

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