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Exercise 1395Calculus › Single-variable calculus › Series › Find the sumL1Added 6 Nov 2026

Three convergent series with explicit sums

#geometric series#telescoping#arctangent identity#d'Alembert

Statement

Show that the following numerical series converge and compute their sums:

  1. ∑n≥12n+13n\displaystyle\sum_{n\ge1}\frac{2^{n+1}}{3^n};
  2. ∑n≥1ln⁡ ⁣(1−2n(n+1))\displaystyle\sum_{n\ge1}\ln\!\left(1-\frac{2}{n(n+1)}\right);
  3. ∑n≥1arctan⁡ ⁣(1n2+n+1)\displaystyle\sum_{n\ge1}\arctan\!\left(\frac{1}{n^2+n+1}\right).
Hint
  1. Recognize a geometric series with ratio 23\frac23, and apply d'Alembert's ratio test. 2. Expand ln⁡(n−1)(n+2)n(n+1)\ln\frac{(n-1)(n+2)}{n(n+1)} and telescope. 3. Use arctan⁡x+arctan⁡y=arctan⁡x+y1−xy\arctan x+\arctan y=\arctan\frac{x+y}{1-xy} with x=−nx=-n, y=n+1y=n+1.
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Solution

(1) Geometric series. For n≥1n\ge1,
un+1un=2n+23n+1⋅3n2n+1=23<1,\frac{u_{n+1}}{u_n}=\frac{2^{n+2}}{3^{n+1}}\cdot\frac{3^n}{2^{n+1}}=\frac{2}{3}<1,
so by d'Alembert's ratio test the series converges. We recognize
∑n≥12n+13n=2∑n≥1(23)n,\sum_{n\ge1}\frac{2^{n+1}}{3^n}=2\sum_{n\ge1}\left(\frac{2}{3}\right)^n,
a geometric series with ratio 23\frac23. Its partial sums are
Sn=2∑k=1n(23)k=2⋅23⋅1−(2/3)n1−2/3.S_n=2\sum_{k=1}^n\left(\frac{2}{3}\right)^k=2\cdot\frac{2}{3}\cdot\frac{1-(2/3)^n}{1-2/3}.
Taking n→+∞n\to+\infty:
S=2⋅2/31/3=2⋅2=4.S=2\cdot\frac{2/3}{1/3}=2\cdot 2=4.

(2) Logarithmic telescoping series. For n≥1n\ge1,
1−2n(n+1)=(n−1)(n+2)n(n+1),1-\frac{2}{n(n+1)}=\frac{(n-1)(n+2)}{n(n+1)},
hence
ln⁡ ⁣(1−2n(n+1))=ln⁡(n−1)+ln⁡(n+2)−ln⁡n−ln⁡(n+1).\ln\!\left(1-\frac{2}{n(n+1)}\right)=\ln(n-1)+\ln(n+2)-\ln n-\ln(n+1).
Regroup the terms as
ln⁡(n+2)−ln⁡(n+1)−(ln⁡n−ln⁡(n−1)).\ln(n+2)-\ln(n+1)-\bigl(\ln n-\ln(n-1)\bigr).
The partial sum of order nn telescopes:
Sn=ln⁡(n+2)−ln⁡n−ln⁡3=ln⁡ ⁣(1+2n)−ln⁡3.S_n=\ln(n+2)-\ln n-\ln 3=\ln\!\left(1+\frac2n\right)-\ln 3.
Since ln⁡(1+2/n)→0\ln(1+2/n)\to0, we get Sn→−ln⁡3S_n\to-\ln 3. The series converges with sum −ln⁡3-\ln 3.

(3) Arctangent telescoping series. Using arctan⁡x+arctan⁡y=arctan⁡x+y1−xy\arctan x+\arctan y=\arctan\frac{x+y}{1-xy} with x=−nx=-n and y=n+1y=n+1:
arctan⁡(−n)+arctan⁡(n+1)=arctan⁡11+n(n+1)=arctan⁡ ⁣(1n2+n+1).\arctan(-n)+\arctan(n+1)=\arctan\frac{1}{1+n(n+1)}=\arctan\!\left(\frac{1}{n^2+n+1}\right).
Since arctan⁡(−n)=−arctan⁡n\arctan(-n)=-\arctan n,
arctan⁡ ⁣(1n2+n+1)=arctan⁡(n+1)−arctan⁡n.\arctan\!\left(\frac{1}{n^2+n+1}\right)=\arctan(n+1)-\arctan n.
The partial sum telescopes:
Sn=arctan⁡(n+1)−arctan⁡(1)=arctan⁡(n+1)−π4.S_n=\arctan(n+1)-\arctan(1)=\arctan(n+1)-\frac{\pi}{4}.
As n→+∞n\to+\infty, arctan⁡(n+1)→π2\arctan(n+1)\to\frac{\pi}{2}, so Sn→π2−π4=π4S_n\to\frac{\pi}{2}-\frac{\pi}{4}=\frac{\pi}{4}. The series converges with sum π4\frac{\pi}{4}.