Skip to content

Power Series

Tags
Calculus
Cegep/2
Word count
420 words
Reading time
3 minutes

Series with the form

S=n=0Cn(xa)nSN=n=0N1Cn(xa)n

+ Only three possibilities of convergence

  1. The series converges only when x=a (R=0).
  2. The series converges for all xR (R=).
  3. The series converges on the interval (aR,a+R).

$R$ is known as the **radius of convergence**.

Theorem

If f(x)=n=0Cn(xa)n with radius R>0, then f is differentiable on the interval (aR,a+R).

Also,

  1. f(x)=ddx[n=0Cn(xa)n]=n=0ddx[Cn(xa)n]
  2. f(x)dx=n=0Cn(xa)ndx=n=0Cn(xa)dx

With the same radius of convergence.

Examples

Consider the power series n=0n!xn.

  1. What is the radius of convergence?
limn|an+1an|=limn|(n+1)!xn+1n!xn|=limn|(n+1)x|=>1

Therefore, the series is divergent by RT x0.

If x=0, the limit is

limn|(n+1)(0)|=limn|0|=0<1

Therefore, the series is convergent by RT. The radius of convergence is 0.

  1. What is the interval on which the series converges?

Since it converges on a point, there is no interval.

  1. What is the series centred?

x=0

Consider the power series n=0(1)nx2n(2n)!.

  1. What is the radius of convergence?
limn|(1)nx2(n+1)(2(n+1))!(2n)!(1)nx2n|=limn|x2(2n+2)(2n+1)|=0<1

Therefore, the series is convergent by RT xR. The radius of convergence is .

  1. What is the interval on which the series converges?

R

  1. What is the series centred?

x=0

Contributors

Changelog