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Knowing the radius of convergence does not settle convergence on its boundary. The three power seriesall have radius one, but behave differently on $|z|=1$.

For the geometric series, boundary terms all have complex modulus one, violating the term test for divergence. For the second series, absolute values give the divergent harmonic series at every boundary point. At $z=1$ the series itself is harmonic and diverges. At any other point on the unit circle, its geometric partial sums obeyThe Dirichlet test with the decreasing sequence $1/n\to 0$ therefore gives conditional convergence. In particular, $z=-1$ gives the negative of the alternating harmonic series, with sum $-\ln 2$. For the third series, the convergent p-series ${\sum }_{n\ge 1}1/n^2$ bounds the absolute values at every boundary point, giving absolute convergence by the comparison test for series.

At $z=-1$, the rational function $1/(1-z)$ is well defined and equals $1/2$, yet its geometric series diverges there. A formula for a function and a particular series representation can have different domains. Likewise, applying termwise differentiation of a power series preserves the radius but need not preserve the boundary convergence.

This lacunary power series has radius of convergence one. For $|z|<1$, the inequality $n!\ge n$ for $n\ge 1$ gives absolute convergence by a geometric series comparison. For $|z|>1$ its terms do not tend to zero. At every point of the unit circle the terms have modulus one, so the term test for divergence proves divergence there too. The two initial terms both equal $z$, since $0!=1!=1$; this finite repetition does not affect any convergence conclusion.

All three examples below have radius of convergence one, because the $n$th roots of their coefficient moduli tend to one.

For convergence everywhere on the boundary, take ${\sum }_{n=1}^{\infty }{z}^n/n^2$. On $|z|=1$ it converges absolutely: for $n\ge 2$, $1/n^2\le 1/[n(n-1)]=1/(n-1)-1/n$, whose sum telescopes to a finite value.

For divergence everywhere on the boundary, take ${\sum }_{n=0}^{\infty }{z}^n$. If $|z|=1$, every term has modulus one, so the term test for divergence applies.

For mixed boundary behavior, take ${\sum }_{n=1}^{\infty }{z}^n/n$. At $z=1$ it is the divergent harmonic series; each successive dyadic block contributes at least $1/2$. At every other point $|z|=1$, summation by parts proves convergence. Indeed put $B_k={\sum }_{j=m}^k{z}^j$, so the finite geometric series gives $|B_k|\le 2/|1-z|=:C_z$. ThenThus the partial sums form a Cauchy sequence and converge. This derives the relevant Dirichlet test rather than only naming it.

A real sequence $x_n$ converges to $l$ if, for every $\epsilon >0$, there is an integer $N$ such that $|x_n-l|<\epsilon$ for every $n\ge N$. A convergent series ${\sum }_{n=1}^{\infty }{x}_n$ is one whose partial sums $s_N={\sum }_{n=1}^N{x}_n$ converge to a finite real limit.

If $s_N\to s$, then $x_N=s_N-s_{N-1}\to s-s=0$. This necessary condition is the term test for divergence. Its converse fails: the harmonic series has terms $1/n\to 0$ but diverges. For a direct proof, each block from $n=2^{j-1}+1$ to $2^j$ contains $2^{j-1}$ terms each at least $2^{-j}$, so contributes at least $1/2$. Infinitely many such blocks make the partial sums unbounded.

For the positive sequences in the final request, the inequality makes $y_n$ decreasing and bounded below by zero. The bounded monotone sequence theorem gives $y_n\to l\ge 0$. Summing the decrements givesSuppose $l>0$. Since $y_n\ge l$, this impliesBut clipping preserves divergence of a positive series: if infinitely many $x_n\ge l$, the clipped series has infinitely many terms equal to $l$; otherwise its tail equals the divergent tail of $\sum x_n$. Either case contradicts the displayed bound. Hence the only possible limit isThis proves the minimum-decrement convergence criterion without assuming that the divergent positive sequence $x_n$ itself tends to zero.

For $|z|=r<1$, the inequality $n!\ge n$ for $n\ge 1$ givesThe first $r$ comes from $0!=1$; both initial terms have exponent one. Thus the factorial-gap power series converges absolutely inside the unit circle. For $|z|>1$, its terms have magnitudes $|z{|}^{n!}\to \infty$, so the term test for divergence proves divergence and $R=1$.

At every point with $|z|=1$, each term has magnitude one, so the terms cannot tend to zero, regardless of their phases. HenceThe large gaps between exponents make this a lacunary power series; cancellation cannot overcome the necessary condition that the terms of a convergent series tend to zero.

The ratio test states that, for a series $\sum a_n$ with nonzero terms eventually, if $|a_{n+1}/a_n|\to L<1$, the series converges absolutely; if $L>1$, including $L=\infty$, it diverges because its terms do not tend to zero. At $L=1$ the test is inconclusive: the harmonic series diverges while $\sum n^{-2}$ converges.

For $|x|<1$, the ratio test applied to $x^n/n$ gives absolute convergence when $x\ne 0$, and at $x=0$ every such term vanishes. ThusAt $x=1$ all terms are zero, so the series converges to zero. At $x=-1$, the even terms vanish and the odd terms are $-2/n$, whose partial sums tend to $-\infty$. Finally, if $|x|>1$, then $|x^n-1|/n\ge (|x{|}^n-1)/n\to \infty$, so the term test for divergence applies. Consequently

For a bounded real function on $[a,\infty )$, convergence of its improper integral means that its restriction to every $[a,b]$, $b>a$, is Riemann integrable and that the finite limitexists. Boundedness by itself does not guarantee either local Riemann integrability or existence of this limit.

A monotone function on $[a,b]$ is bounded between its endpoint values. Divide the interval into $m$ equal pieces with endpoints $x_j=a+j(b-a)/m$. If $f$ is nondecreasing, its upper and lower Darboux sums differ byFor nonincreasing $f$, the same calculation with reversed endpoint values gives $(b-a)(f(a)-f(b))/m$. Thus in either case $U-L=(b-a)|f(b)-f(a)|/m\to 0$. For every $\epsilon >0$ one can choose $m$ to make this gap smaller than $\epsilon$; the Riemann integrability criterion proves that $f$ is Riemann integrable.

Now let $f$ be decreasing on $[1,\infty )$ with limit zero. For each $x$, $f(x)\ge {\lim }_{y\to \infty }f(y)=0$. On $[n,n+1]$ its monotonicity givesSumming these bounds, with $S_N={\sum }_{n=1}^{N}f(n)$, yieldsBoth the partial sums $S_N$ and the truncated integrals are nondecreasing because $f\ge 0$. The inequalities show that one family is bounded above if and only if the other is. The bounded monotone sequence theorem then gives convergence of the sums exactly when the integer-endpoint integrals converge. For real $b$ between $N$ and $N+1$, the integral to $b$ lies between the integrals to these integer endpoints; the squeeze theorem supplies the same limit. If either family is unbounded, both tend to $+\infty$. This proves the integral test for convergence in the required form.

For $\alpha <0$, use $f(x)=x^{\alpha }$, which is decreasing and tends to zero. Its truncated improper integral isThis has a finite limit exactly when $\alpha <-1$. If $\alpha \ge 0$, the terms $n^{\alpha }$ do not tend to zero, so the term test for divergence applies. Thus the full p-series criterion isFor every $\alpha \ge -1$ its nonnegative partial sums tend to $+\infty$.

Every counted point has integer coordinates and lies in the square $[-n,n{]}^2$, while the origin is always counted. HenceNo precise circle-area estimate is needed; this elementary bound controls the growth of the power series coefficients.

The comparison test for series states that if $0\le u_n\le v_n$, convergence of $\sum v_n$ implies convergence of $\sum u_n$. Equivalently, divergence of the smaller nonnegative series forces divergence of the larger one.

For $|z|=r<1$,For $0<r<1$, the ratio of successive terms on the right tends to $r<1$, so the ratio test and the comparison test for series show absolute convergence. The case $r=0$ is immediate.

If $|z|\ge 1$, then $|a_n{z}^n|\ge 1$, so the terms do not tend to zero. The term test for divergence therefore rules out convergence, including every point on the boundary $|z|=1$. Thus the radius of convergence isThe series converges exactly in the open unit disc. This is an example of polynomial coefficient growth with unit power-series radius: the lattice-count bound is polynomial rather than exponential.

If $s\le 0$, the terms $n^{-s}$ do not tend to zero, so the series diverges by the term test for divergence. If $s>0$, the terms form a nonnegative decreasing sequence, and the Cauchy condensation test gives the condensed seriesThis geometric series converges exactly when $1-s<0$. Hence the p-series criterion is

The inequality $(1+1/n{)}^n\le e$ gives, for $|x|<1$,For $|x|>1$, the terms have magnitude at least $|x{|}^n$ and therefore do not tend to zero, so the series diverges by the term test for divergence. Hence

Split the power series into even and odd indices:whenever the two series converge absolutely. If $|z|<1$, the even part is a convergent geometric series, while the odd part is bounded termwise in absolute value by ${\sum }_j|z{|}^{2j+1}$, also a convergent geometric series. Hence there is absolute convergence throughout $|z|<1$.

If $|z|>1$, the odd terms have absolute values $|z{|}^{2j+1}/(2j+1{)}^2$. Their successive ratio tends to $|z{|}^2>1$, so these terms grow eventually and do not tend to zero. The term test for divergence therefore forces divergence of the original power series. Consequently its radius of convergence is

The summand $n/(n+4)$ tends to one rather than zero. The term test for divergence therefore proves the series diverges. A ratio limit equal to one would be inconclusive and is unnecessary here.

For $a_n=n^n/n!$, successive terms satisfyThey eventually grow by a factor strictly greater than one and cannot tend to zero. Hence the series diverges to $+\infty$, by the ratio test or the term test for divergence.

The summand is $\sqrt{n}/\sqrt{n+1}=\sqrt{n/(n+1)}\to 1$, rather than zero. The necessary term test for divergence fails. Therefore the positive-term series diverges to $+\infty$.

For the positive terms $a_n=n!/2^n$, the ratio is $a_{n+1}/a_n=(n+1)/2\to \infty$. The ratio test therefore gives divergence. More directly, the terms increase by a factor at least two for all $n\ge 3$, so they fail the necessary term test for divergence condition $a_n\to 0$. Hence

The summands repeat the six-term patternIn particular they do not tend to zero: the subsequence with $n=6k+1$ is always $\sqrt{3}/2$. The term test for divergence therefore shows that the series diverges. Although each block of six sums to zero, that only makes a subsequence of partial sums zero; it does not make the full sequence of partial sums convergent.

Cancellation of the factorials in the consecutive ratio givesSet $t=1/n$. The derivative of the natural logarithm at $1$ gives $\ln (1+t)/t\to 1$. ThereforeThus the necessary condition from the term test for divergence is satisfied. On its own it does not prove that $\sum u_n$ converges.

Suppose real coefficients satisfy $c\le a_n\le C(1+n{)}^m$ for all sufficiently large $n$, where $c,C>0$ and $m\ge 0$. Then the power series $\sum a_n{z}^n$ has radius of convergence one. For $|z|<1$, the comparison test for series and the ratio test dominate it by a polynomial times a geometric sequence. For $|z|\ge 1$, the terms have modulus at least $c$ eventually and violate the term test for divergence. Finite changes to the coefficients do not affect the conclusion.

For the telescoping series ${\sum }_{n=1}^{\infty }1/[n(n+1)]=1$, the remainder after the first $N$ terms is exactlyThus $S_9=0.9$, $S_{99}=0.99$, and $S_{999}=0.999$. This supplies an exact stopping rule: to make the absolute error at most $10^{-3}$, 999 terms suffice. Requiring strictly less than $10^{-3}$ instead needs at least 1000 terms.

The next term, $a_{N+1}=1/[(N+1)(N+2)]$, is smaller than the full remaining sum by a factor of $N+2$. For example, after 99 terms the next term is $1/10100$, while the remainder is $1/100$. The term test for divergence concerns individual terms; a reliable numerical approximation needs a bound on the whole remaining sum.

Let a power series ${\sum }_{n\ge 0}{a}_n{z}^n$ have finite radius of convergence $R$. If its terms were bounded in complex modulus at a point $z$ with $|z|>R$, say $|a_n{z}^n|\le M$, choose $w$ with $R<|w|<|z|$. ThenThe comparison test for series with a convergent geometric series would give absolute convergence at $w$, contradicting its position outside the convergence disc. Hence the terms are unbounded at every such $z$. The argument also works when $R=0$ and gives a stronger obstruction than the usual term test for divergence.