Please help me to prove tha $\gamma_{n} = 1+\frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{3}+....+\frac{1}{n}-\ln n$ converges and its limit is $\gamma \in [0,1]$. Then, using $\gamma_{n}$ find the sum: $\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}(-1)^{n+1}\frac{1}{n}$.
Please help me to prove the convergence of $\gamma_{n} = 1+\frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{3}+....+\frac{1}{n}-\ln n$
-
0In the sense that if you read the answer given, all the good stuff's in there. Although they don't compute the alternated sum. I don't agree it's a duplicate. – 2011-08-10
4 Answers
The following question addresses the convergence, so assume $\gamma_n$ converges and denote the limit as $\gamma$.
Now consider $\sum_{n=1}^{2m} (-1)^{n+1} \frac{1}{n}$ and split it into even and odd terms $\sum_{n=1}^m \frac{1}{2n-1} - \sum_{n=1}^m \frac{1}{2n}$. Then complete the sum over odd integers to sum over consequtive integers: $\sum_{n=1}^{2m} \frac{1}{n} - 2 \sum_{n=1}^m \frac{1}{2n}$.
Then subtract logarithms to form $\gamma_{2m} - 2 \gamma_m + \log(2)$, like so $ ( \sum_{n=1}^{2m} \frac{1}{n} - \log(2m)) - ( \sum_{n=1}^m \frac{1}{n} - \log(m)) + \log(2).$
In the limit $m \to \infty$ it becomes $ \gamma - \gamma + \log(2) = \log(2)$.
-
0Tha$n$k you for your help too! – 2011-08-10
You can use the mean value theorem to prove first that $\frac{1}{n+1}<\ln(n+1)-\ln n<\frac{1}{n}$ then, $\ln(n+1)<1+\ldots+\frac{1}{n}<1+\ln n$, and finally $\ln(n+1)-\ln n<\gamma_n<1$ which implies the convergence of $\gamma_n$ and its limit $\gamma\in[0,1]$.
For the second part, I am not sure if you can use $\gamma_n$ to find the sum $\sum_{n=1}^\infty(-1)^{n+1}\frac{1}{n}$!
I suggest to use the Taylor-Young formula for $x\mapsto\ln(x+1)$ on $[0,1]$ to prove that $\sum_{n=1}^\infty(-1)^{n+1}\frac{1}{n}=\ln2.$
-
0@amine it's mercator series time... – 2011-08-10
The Mean Value Theorem says $ \frac{1}{k+1}<\log(k+1)-\log(k)<\frac{1}{k} $ Summing from $m$ to $n-1$ ($m < n$), we get $ \begin{align} \sum_{k=m}^{n-1}\frac{1}{k+1}<\log(n)-\log(m)<\sum_{k=m}^{n-1}\frac{1}{k} \end{align} $ Subtracting $\displaystyle{\sum_{k=m}^{n-1}\frac{1}{k+1}=\sum_{k=m+1}^n\frac{1}{k}=\sum_{k=1}^n\frac{1}{k}-\sum_{k=1}^m\frac{1}{k}}$ from all parts, we get $ 0<\left(\log(n)-\sum_{k=1}^n\frac{1}{k}\right)-\left(\log(m)-\sum_{k=1}^m\frac{1}{k}\right)<\frac{1}{m}-\frac{1}{n} $ This proves the existence of $\displaystyle{\lim_{n\to\infty}\left(\log(n)-\sum_{k=1}^n\frac{1}{k}\right)}$. If we set $m=1$ and subtract all sides from $1$, we get 1>\left(\sum_{k=1}^n\frac{1}{k}-\log(n)\right)>\frac{1}{n} Thus, we have shown that $\displaystyle{\gamma=\lim_{n\to\infty}\left(\sum_{k=1}^n\frac{1}{k}-\log(n)\right)}$ exists, and that $0\le\gamma\le 1$.
Note that $ \begin{align} \sum_{k=1}^{2n}(-1)^{k+1}\frac{1}{k}&=\sum_{k=1}^{2n}\frac{1}{k}-2\sum_{k=1}^n\frac{1}{2k}\\ &=\sum_{k=1}^{2n}\frac{1}{k}-\sum_{k=1}^n\frac{1}{k}\\ &=\left(\sum_{k=1}^{2n}\frac{1}{k}-\log(2n)\right)-\left(\sum_{k=1}^n\frac{1}{k}-\log(n)\right)+\log(2) \end{align} $ Taking the limit as $n\to\infty$, we get $ \sum_{k=1}^\infty(-1)^{k+1}\frac{1}{k}=\gamma-\gamma+\log(2)=\log(2) $
-
0Sorry, for the convergence, I forgot to say that $\gamma_n$ is decreasing because \gamma_{n+1}-\gamma_n=\frac{1}{n+1}-(\ln(n+1)-\ln n)<0 since it is bounded, it is convergent! – 2011-08-10
Do we have a "proof without words" question here? I don't find it. There is a lovely diagram found in certain calculus texts that does this for us. Maybe I will animate it, for fun.
-
1It's something like the diagram at the top right here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler%E2%80%93Mascheroni_constant but then you slide all the blue regions to the left to see that they all fit inside a $1 \times 1$ square. – 2011-08-10