Comparison Test for series of real numbers.
If 0 ≤ x n ≤ y n for every n, then:
- summability of
yimplies summability ofx, and - non-summability of
ximplies non-summability ofy(the latter being the contrapositive of the former).
Root Test (Cauchy's root test).
Suppose L = lim |x n| ^ (1/n) exists. Then:
- if
L < 1, the series∑ |x n|converges (so∑ x nconverges absolutely); - if
L > 1, the series∑ x ndiverges.
Ratio Test (d'Alembert's ratio test).
Suppose x n ≠ 0 for every n and L = lim |x (n+1)| / |x n| exists. Then:
- if
L < 1, the series∑ |x n|converges (so∑ x nconverges absolutely); - if
L > 1, the series∑ x ndiverges.
Alternating Series Test (Leibniz's test).
If x : ℕ → ℝ is nonnegative, monotone decreasing (Antitone), and tends to 0,
then the alternating series ∑ (-1)^i * x i converges, i.e. its partial sums
converge to some real limit l.
Convergence of the alternating harmonic series.
The series ∑ (-1)^i / (i + 1) converges, i.e. its partial sums converge to some
real limit l. This is a direct corollary of the alternating series test, applied
to the decreasing positive sequence 1 / (n + 1). Note that the corresponding
series of absolute values (the harmonic series) diverges, so this is an example
of a conditionally convergent series.