How do you know if #sumn/(e(n^2))# converges from 1 to infinity?

2 Answers
May 25, 2015

We can rewrite the sum as:

#sum_(n=0)^oo n/(e(n^2)) = 1/e sum_(n=o)^oo n/n^2 = 1/e sum_(n=o)^oo 1/n#

Thus we can see that #sum_(n=0)^oo 1/n# is the Divergent Harmonic Series.

Thus we have a scalar multiple of a Divergent series, thus we end up with a Divergent series.

so:

#1/e sum_(n=0)^oo 1/n# is divergent

Proof of the divergence of the Harmonic Series.

May 26, 2015

It seems possible that the question was supposed to be about the series:

#sum_1^oo n/e^(n^2)#

If this is the series we're interested in, use the integral test.

For #f(x) = x/e^(x^2)#, we have #f'(x) = (1-2x^2)/e^(x^2)#, which is eventually negative (#x > 1/sqrt2#). So #f# is eventually decreasing.

#int x/e^(x^2) dx = int e^(-x^2) x dx#

can be evaluated by substitution: #u = -x^2#

#int x/e^(x^2) dx = int e^(-x^2) x dx = -1/2 e^(-x^2) + C#

So

#int_1^oo x/e^(x^2) dx = lim_(brarroo) (-1/2 e^(-b^2) -+ 1/(2e))#

which converges.