Question
Given the series
use the Integral Test to determine if it converges or diverges.
Ask by Daniel Lewis. in the United States
Mar 27,2025
Upstudy AI Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
The series
diverges.
Solution

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Beyond the Answer
To determine whether the series
converges or diverges using the Integral Test, we first consider the function
for
. We need to verify that
is continuous, positive, and decreasing on this interval.
-
Continuity and Positivity: The function
is made up of polynomial terms and is thus continuous for . Since both and are positive for , it follows that for . -
Decreasing: To show that
is decreasing, we compute the derivative : The numeratoris negative for . Therefore, for , indicating that is decreasing.
Now that we’ve established that
is continuous, positive, and decreasing on
, we can apply the Integral Test.
Next, we evaluate the improper integral:
To solve the integral, we can use a substitution. Let
, then
or
. When
,
and as
,
. Thus,
Now evaluating the integral
:
Thus,
Since the integral diverges, by the Integral Test, the series
also diverges. The final conclusion is: