SeriesTests

GeometricSeries

ar

convergesifandonlyif|r|<1

k=0

1 r n+1
a

S n = a
always,andifconverging, S =
1 r
1 r

NthTermTest

If lim ak 0 ,then ak diverges

k
k=1

PTest

1
convergesifandonlyifp>1
p
k=1 k

ComparisonTest

Considerthetwoseries

k and

k=1

If

Iffisacontinuous,decreasing,positivefunctionand

isaseriessuchthatak=f(k),then

k=1

bk forallk1.

k=1

bk convergesthensodoes ak ,butif ak divergesthensodoes bk

k=1

k=1
k=1
k=1

IntegralTest

b suchthat0 a

1.

f (x )dx a

k=1

a1 +

2. Rn =
ak
k=n+1

f (x )dx (hence,bothconvergeorbothdiverge)
1

f (x )dx
n

RatioTest

a
Supposethatak>0forallkand lim k+1 = L
k a
k

IfL<1,then

k converges;ifL>1,then

k=1

k=1

diverges;ifL=1thetestininconclusive

AlternatingSeriesTest(A.S.T.)

Suppose

isanalternatingseries(sock0forallk).If:

2. lim c k = 0
k

k=1
1. c1 c 2 c 3 ... i.e.thecksaredecreasing

(1) c

Then:

1. S=

(1)

ck converges

k =1

2. Sisboundedbyanypairofconsecutivepartialsums

3. S S n c n+1