University Calculus: Early Transcendentals (3rd Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0321999584
ISBN 13: 978-0-32199-958-0

Chapter 9 - Section 9.1 - Sequences - Exercises - Page 490: 132

Answer

Proof given below.

Work Step by Step

Let $f(n)$ and $g(n)$ be integer functions, both ever rising, and let their function values be the indices of two subseqences such that $ a_{f(n)}\rightarrow L_{1} \quad$ and $\quad a_{g(n)}\rightarrow L_{2} \quad$ and $\quad L_{1}\neq L_{2}.$ The result of exercise 130 tells us that, if $\{a_{n}\}$ is convergent, then, given an arbitrarily small positive number $\epsilon$, there is an index N after which the distance between any two terms that follow, is less than $\epsilon$. If we prove that no such N exists for some chosen $\epsilon, $ the sequence would be divergent. Since $ a_{f(n)}\rightarrow L_{1} \quad$ and $\quad a_{g(n)}\rightarrow L_{2}$, $| a_{f(n)}-a_{g(n)}|\rightarrow|L_{1} -L_{2} |,$ so, if we take $\displaystyle \epsilon=\frac{|L_{1} -L_{2} |}{2},$ then for any N, however large, we can find two members of the sequence with indices greater than N, whose distance is greater than $\epsilon$. (one term is a member of $\{a_{f(n)}\}$ and the other of $\{a_{g(n)}\}$, so their distance becomes closer and closer to $ 2\epsilon$ as n grows very large). Thus, such an N does not exist. Hence, $\{a_{n}\}$ is divergent.
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