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IB MATH HL NAME: ………………………………

INFINITE SERIES MARATHON P&A FEBRUARY 2011

1. Investigate the behavior of the following series:

1 1 1 1
1 2  3  4  ... n  ...
a. .
2 3 4 n

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1 1 1
b. 1   ...  ....
2 3 n

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
1
c.  3n 2
 4n 1
n 1

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1 1 1 1 1
d.     ... 2  ...
2 5 10 17 n 1

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1 2 3 4 n
e.     ... 2  ...
2 5 10 17 n 1

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
arctan n
f.  n 2 1
n 1

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1 1 1 1
p  p  p  ... p  ...
g.
1 2 3 n

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2. Find an approximation to the following series:


1
a.  (2n  3) 2 .
n 1

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
1
b.  n(n 1)
n 1

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
1
3. Estimate the error in using the partial sum S100 to approximate the sum of the series n 3 .
n 1

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
1
4. Determine the number of terms needed to obtain an approximation of the sum of the series n 3
n 1
correct to within 10-6.

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1 1 1 1 1 1
5. What is the least number of terms in the series  2  3  4  ... n  n 1  ... that must be
2 2 2 2 2 2
taken in order for the error to be smaller than 10-6?



1 1 1 1 1 1
6. How many terms of the series     ...   ... must be taken
2 2 3 2 3 4 2  3 4 5 n! (n 1)!
in order for the error to be smaller than 10-6 ?

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7. Find the radius of convergence and the interval of convergence for the following series:
a. 1 x  x 2  x 3  ... x n  ...

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x x2 xn
b. 1   ... n  ...
2 4 2

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x2 x3 x4 n 1 x
n
c. 1     ... (1)  ...
2 2 32 4 2 n2

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x x x
d. sin x  2sin  4 sin  ... 2 n 1 sin n 1  ...
3 9 3

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2 k 2 3k 3 4 k 4 nk
e. x x  x  x  ... x n  ...
2! 3! 4! n!

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
(1) n 1 2x 
n

f.  n  3    
n 1

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8. Determine the interval of absolute convergence for the following series:

2 2 2 (1 2 3) k 3 (n!) 2 n
a. x x  x  ... x  ...
4! 6! (2n)!

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2! 2 3! 3 n! n
b. x 2 x  3 x  ... n x  ...
2 3 n

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x x2 xn
c.   ...  ...
1 1 2  2 n n

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1
9. Express the function f (x)  as a power series, stating the values of x for which this
3 x
approximation is valid.

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x2
10. Express the function f (x)  as a power series, stating the values of x for which this
3 x
approximation is valid.

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1
11. Find the power series for the function f (x)  .
(1 x) 2

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12. Find the power series for the function f (x)  ln(1  x) and hence find the power series for ln x .

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1
13. Find the power series for the function f (x) 
1 x 2
and hence find the power series for arctan x .

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14. Use power series to calculate the following integrals:

A

2
a. e  x dx
0

A sin x
b.  0 x
dx
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15. Use Taylor series to

 
a. Calculate cos   0.1 for n  4 to five decimal places.
3 

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b. Expand the function f (x)  x x about x  e to the second degree term.

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1

2
16. Evaluate the integral e  x dx to within an error of 10-3.
0
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17. Evaluate e to four decimal places, i.e. to an error of less than 5  10 5 .

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18. Use the third degree Taylor polynomial for ln x to approximate the value of ln(1.1) and determine
the error involved in this approximation.

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19. Find the Maclaurin expansion of log(2  sin x) .

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2
20. Find the first three terms of the expansion of e x arctan x .

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21. Expand the product 4 cos2 x log(x 1) to the term of the expansion in x 5.

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tan x
22. Expand the expression as far as the 5th term.
(1 x) 4

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