3.5.

THE CAUCHY CRITERION 69

1
Example. x1 = 1, x2 = 2, xn = (xn 2 + xn 1) for n 3.
2
⇣ 3 7 13 27 ⌘
(xn) = 1, 2, , , , , . . . .
2 4 8 16
(a) (xn) is contractive. Thus (xn) converges.
Proof.
1 1 1 1
|xn+2 xn+1| = (xn + xn+1) xn+1 = xn xn+1 = |xn+1 xn|.
2 2 2 2
⇤
(b) Note that
1 1
|xn+1 xn| = |x
1 2
x1| = .
2n 2n 1

(c) [To find lim(x2n+1) = lim(xn).]

1 1 1
x2n+1 x2n 1 = (x2n 1 + x2n) x2n 1 = x2n x2n 1 =
2 2 2
1 1 1 1
|x2n x2n 1| = · 2n 2 = 2n 1 .
2 2 2 2
Thus
1 1 1
x2n+1 = x2n 1 + 2n 1 = x2n 3 + 2n 3 + 2n 1 = · · · =
2 2 2
1 1 1 1 1 h 1 1 1 i
1 + + 3 + 5 + · · · + 2n 1 = 1 + 1 + 2 + 4 + · · · + 2n 2 =
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
1 h 1 1 1 i 1 h 1 ⇣ 1 ⌘ 2 ⇣ 1 ⌘n 1i
1 + 1 + 2 + 4 + · · · + 2n 2 = 1 + 1 + + + ··· + =
2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4
1 n 1
1 1 4 1 4 4 1
n
1+ · = 1 + · =
2 1 14 2 4 1
1
4 4n 1 2 5
1+ !1+ = as n ! 1.
6 3 3
5
Thus lim(xn) = lim(x2n+1) = .
3