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Ch. 10 - Sequences and Infinite Series
Briggs - Calculus: Early Transcendentals 3rd Edition
Briggs3rd EditionCalculus: Early TranscendentalsISBN: 9780136847243Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 10, Problem 10.2.65

55–70. More sequences
Find the limit of the following sequences or determine that the sequence diverges.


{cosn / n}

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1
Identify the given sequence as \( a_n = \frac{\cos n}{n} \), where \( n \) is a positive integer.
Recall that \( \cos n \) oscillates between -1 and 1 for all integer values of \( n \), so the numerator is bounded.
Note that the denominator \( n \) increases without bound as \( n \to \infty \).
Use the Squeeze Theorem by bounding the sequence: since \( -1 \leq \cos n \leq 1 \), we have \( -\frac{1}{n} \leq \frac{\cos n}{n} \leq \frac{1}{n} \).
Since both \( -\frac{1}{n} \) and \( \frac{1}{n} \) approach 0 as \( n \to \infty \), conclude that \( \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{\cos n}{n} = 0 \).

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Limit of a Sequence

The limit of a sequence is the value that the terms of the sequence approach as the index n goes to infinity. If the terms get arbitrarily close to a specific number, the sequence converges to that limit; otherwise, it diverges.
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Behavior of the Cosine Function

The cosine function oscillates between -1 and 1 for all real numbers n. Since cos(n) does not approach a single value as n increases, it is important to consider how this oscillation affects the sequence when combined with other terms.
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Graph of Sine and Cosine Function

Squeeze Theorem for Sequences

The Squeeze Theorem states that if a sequence is bounded above and below by two sequences that both converge to the same limit, then the original sequence also converges to that limit. This is useful when dealing with sequences involving bounded oscillating functions divided by terms that grow without bound.
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