# Math Help - showing its a cauchy sequence

1. ## showing its a cauchy sequence

Show $i^n/n$ is a cauchy sequence. need $|(mi^n-ni^m)/nm| < e$whenever $n,m>_N$.

2. ## Re: showing its a cauchy sequence

Silly question, I suppose, but does $i=\sqrt{-1}$ in this problem? If so, why not just use the triangle inequality?

3. ## Re: showing its a cauchy sequence

The sequence converges, and so it's trivially Cauchy. It converges to zero because each term has modulus $\frac{1}{n}$.

4. ## Re: showing its a cauchy sequence

true, but the nice thing about cauchy sequences is that there's no limits involved. note that:

$\left|\frac{i(m- n)}{mn}\right| = |i|\left|\frac{m-n}{mn}\right| = \left|\frac{m-n}{mn}\right|$

$\leq \left|\frac{1}{n}\right| + \left|\frac{-1}{m}\right| = \left|\frac{1}{n}\right| + \left|\frac{1}{m}\right|$

if we choose $N > 2/\epsilon$, then for m,n > N

$\left|\frac{1}{n}\right| + \left|\frac{1}{m}\right| < \frac{\epsilon}{2} + \frac{\epsilon}{2} = \epsilon$

NOTE: if i represents a constant, rather than the square root of -1, then just choose:

$N > \frac{2|i|}{\epsilon}$

5. ## Re: showing its a cauchy sequence

Deveno you misread slightly (it was i^m not mi) but the proof amounted to the same thing. Let e>0 be given. $|\frac{i^n}{n}-\frac{i^m}{m}|<_ |\frac{i^n}{n}|+|\frac{i^m}{m}|=\frac{1}{n}+\frac{ 1}{m}$ Then choosing N >2/e completes the proof.

6. ## Re: showing its a cauchy sequence

indeed i did! good catch.