Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2019 / ia / Paper 4 / 2E / Solution

The first series is telescoping, sinceIts $N$th partial sum is $1-1/(N+1)$, soa rational number.

The second series converges absolutely, for example by the ratio test, and is the odd part of the exponential series:This value is irrational. Indeed, if $a=\sinh 1$ were algebraic, then $e$ would satisfymaking $e$ algebraic over the algebraic numbers and hence algebraic, contrary to the Hermite theorem on the transcendence of e. Thus the second sum is in fact transcendental.