If an infinite sum converges, then its terms must tend to zero.
If a series diverges, it means that the sum of an infinite list of numbers is not finite (it may approach or it may oscillate), and:
- The series will still diverge if the first term is removed.
- The series will still diverge if the first terms are removed.
- The series will still diverge if the first terms are removed.
- The series will still diverge if any finite number of terms from anywhere in the series are removed.
These concepts are very important and lie at the heart of the next theorems.
Note that the two statements above are really the same. In order to converge, the limit of the terms of the sequence must approach ; if they do not, the series will not converge.The standard example of a sequence whose terms go to zero, and yet does not converge, is the harmonic series. The Harmonic sequence, , converges to while the Harmonic Series,
Let’s see if you’ve digested what we’ve been saying:
Restating this point again (because it is very important): passing the divergence test means that a series has a chance to converge. The divergence test cannot tell us whether a series converges.
Some questions
It’s a great idea at this point to stop and compare the previous two questions.