Disk of convergence 2026-10-25
For a power series centred at with radius of convergence , its disk of convergence is the open disk , on which the series has absolute convergence. Boundary points may or may not belong to the larger domain of convergence. When this open disk is empty, although the power series still converges at its centre; when it is the whole complex plane.
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.