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Page:Elements of the Differential and Integral Calculus - Granville - Revised.djvu/237

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135. Infinite series. Consider the series of terms

(A) ;

and let denote the sum of the series. Then

(B) .

Evidently is a function of , for


[1]

Mark off points on a straight line whose distances from a fixed point correspond to these different sums. It is seen that the point

WAG 135-1 Limit Of Series

corresponding to any sum bisects the distance between the preceding point and 2. Hence it appears geometrically that when increases without limit

.


We also see that this is so from arithmetical considerations, for

. [2]
[Since when increases without limit approaches zero as a limit.]
  1. Found by 6, § 1, for the sum of a geometric series
  2. Such a result is sometimes for the sake of brevity, called the sum of the series; but the student must not forget that 2 is not the sum but the limit of the sum, as the number of terms increases without limit.