Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/prelims/mathematics-ii/3/a/solution

For a power series , its radius of convergence separates absolute convergence for from divergence for . One may define , allowing .
To justify convergence inside the radius, choose with . In particular for some , so
The comparison test with a geometric series proves absolute convergence. Conversely, convergence at a point of modulus makes bounded there and gives absolute convergence at all smaller moduli by the same estimate. Consequently a convergent point of modulus greater than would contradict the definition of .
For , the real domain of convergence is one of , , , or . At these are realized respectively by
The endpoint assertions follow from the harmonic series, alternating series test, and p-series. Replacing by realizes every finite positive radius. The degenerate domain occurs for , while the entire real line occurs for . Their radii are zero and infinity by the ratio test.

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