Conditional convergence

Summary

In mathematics, a series or integral is said to be conditionally convergent if it converges, but it does not converge absolutely.

Definition edit

More precisely, a series of real numbers   is said to converge conditionally if   exists (as a finite real number, i.e. not   or  ), but  

A classic example is the alternating harmonic series given by

 
which converges to  , but is not absolutely convergent (see Harmonic series).

Bernhard Riemann proved that a conditionally convergent series may be rearranged to converge to any value at all, including ∞ or −∞; see Riemann series theorem. The Lévy–Steinitz theorem identifies the set of values to which a series of terms in Rn can converge.

A typical conditionally convergent integral is that on the non-negative real axis of   (see Fresnel integral).

See also edit

References edit

  • Walter Rudin, Principles of Mathematical Analysis (McGraw-Hill: New York, 1964).