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1-Visitor
April 14, 2014
Solved

Infinite Series Convergence, how?

  • April 14, 2014
  • 3 replies
  • 9450 views

Hello,

I have attached my worksheet.

Is there a way for mathcad to tell me if an infinite series converges or diverges? And if it converges, what it converges to?

Thank you!!

Best answer by Fred_Kohlhepp

You can solve for a specific accuracy

3 replies

25-Diamond I
April 14, 2014

As ratio and root tests fail you have to use comparison to prove that this series converges (which does not mean that you now know what it converes to).

To evaluate that kind of series with Mathcad you have to use symbolic evaluation, not the numeric one you tried

14.04.png

Unfortunately Mathcads symbolics isn't capable to deal with your series. The results are different whether you force float mode (using 0.5) or exact mode (using 1/2), but not helpful in either case.

14.04.png

Mathcad is generally not really good with that kind of symbolics. While it knows about this series and successfully yields the Rieman Zeta as result

14.04.png

it isn't even able to deal with this (equivalent) series

14.04.png

1-Visitor
April 14, 2014

Thank you for the help.

Can Matlab do this?

25-Diamond I
April 14, 2014

Can Matlab do this?

Matlab uses the very same symbolics processor (muPad, they own it), so I would guess - no. But if you have access, just give it a try.

1-Visitor
April 15, 2014

Thank you for everybody's help! You are very gracious for taking your time to help me. Hopefully someday I can help others as well.

1-Visitor
April 10, 2017

Trying to use the ratio test or the root test but they both not work.