Exercise · ZW-NUMERICAL-SERIES-007 · ★★☆ Intermediate
Compute \(\displaystyle\sum_{n=2}^{\infty}\frac{1}{n^2-1}\).
Choose one option.
Show answer
- D. \(\tfrac34\)
Explanation
We have \(\frac1{n^2-1}=\tfrac12\left(\frac1{n-1}-\frac1{n+1}\right)\); the telescoping sum leaves \(\tfrac12\left(1+\tfrac12\right)=\tfrac34\).
Review the concept: Numerical series
A series is the sequence of partial sums \(s_N\) of a sequence of terms \(a_n\); it converges if \(s_N\) has a finite limit, and that limit is its sum.
\[s_N=\sum_{n=1}^{N}a_n,\qquad \sum_{n=1}^{\infty}a_n=\lim_{N\to\infty}s_N\]
More practice problems: numerical series
- ZW-NUMERICAL-SERIES-001 Compute ∑_n=0^∞(tfrac12)^n.
- ZW-NUMERICAL-SERIES-002 Compute ∑_n=1^∞(1)/(n(n+1)).
- ZW-NUMERICAL-SERIES-003 For the series ∑_n=1^∞1n^2, compute the partial sum s_3.
- ZW-NUMERICAL-SERIES-004 What happens with ∑_n=0^∞(-1)^n?
- ZW-NUMERICAL-SERIES-005 Which of these series diverges because its general term does not tend to zero?
- ZW-NUMERICAL-SERIES-006 Compute ∑_n=1^∞(3)/(4^n).
- ZW-NUMERICAL-SERIES-008 Compute ∑_n=0^∞(-tfrac23)^n.
- ZW-NUMERICAL-SERIES-009 The partial sums of a series are s_N=(2N)/(N+1). What is the term a_3?