Skip to main content

Try one problem first

No account needed. Your work stays on this page and is not saved.

Proof: make a limit precise problem

For each positive integer nn, let an=n/(n+2)a_n=n/(n+2). Prove from the definition of convergence that an→1a_n\to1.

Show a hintProof: make a limit precise hint

The definition asks: given any ε>0\varepsilon>0, can you make ∣an−1∣<ε|a_n-1|<\varepsilon for every sufficiently large nn? First simplify ∣an−1∣|a_n-1|.

Check against the worked answer

Let \(\varepsilon>0\). For every positive integer \(n\), \[ \left|\frac{n}{n+2}-1\right|=\left|\frac{-2}{n+2}\right|=\frac{2}{n+2}. \] Choose a positive integer \(N>2/\varepsilon\). Such an integer exists because the positive integers are unbounded. If \(n\ge N\), all denominators are positive, so \[ \frac{2}{n+2}\le\frac{2}{N+2}<\frac{2}{N}<\varepsilon. \] Thus, for every positive tolerance \(\varepsilon\), this \(N\), chosen for the given \(\varepsilon\), works for every \(n\ge N\). This is exactly the definition of \(a_n\to1\).