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Like any series, an alternating series is a convergent series if and only if the sequence of partial sums of the series converges to a limit. The alternating series test guarantees that an alternating series is convergent if the terms a n converge to 0 monotonically, but this condition is not necessary for convergence.
In mathematical analysis, the alternating series test proves that an alternating series is convergent when its terms decrease monotonically in absolute value and approach zero in the limit. The test was devised by Gottfried Leibniz and is sometimes known as Leibniz's test , Leibniz's rule , or the Leibniz criterion .
The idea becomes clearer by considering the general series 1 − 2x + 3x 2 − 4x 3 + 5x 4 − 6x 5 + &c. that arises while expanding the expression 1 ⁄ (1+x) 2, which this series is indeed equal to after we set x = 1.
This series was first considered by Euler, who applied summability methods to assign a finite value to the series. [1] The series is a sum of factorials that are alternately added or subtracted. One way to assign a value to this divergent series is by using Borel summation , where one formally writes
where f (2k−1) is the (2k − 1)th derivative of f and B 2k is the (2k)th Bernoulli number: B 2 = 1 / 6 , B 4 = − + 1 / 30 , and so on. Setting f ( x ) = x , the first derivative of f is 1, and every other term vanishes, so [ 15 ]
Color representation of the Dirichlet eta function. It is generated as a Matplotlib plot using a version of the Domain coloring method. [1]In mathematics, in the area of analytic number theory, the Dirichlet eta function is defined by the following Dirichlet series, which converges for any complex number having real part > 0: = = = + +.
A classic example is the alternating harmonic series given by + + = = +, which converges to (), but is not absolutely convergent (see Harmonic series). Bernhard Riemann proved that a conditionally convergent series may be rearranged to converge to any value at all, including ∞ or −∞; see Riemann series theorem .
If r < 1, then the series converges absolutely. If r > 1, then the series diverges. If r = 1, the root test is inconclusive, and the series may converge or diverge. The root test is stronger than the ratio test: whenever the ratio test determines the convergence or divergence of an infinite series, the root test does too, but not conversely. [1]