{
  "index": "1988-B-4",
  "type": "ANA",
  "tag": [
    "ANA"
  ],
  "difficulty": "",
  "question": "Prove that if $\\sum_{n=1}^\\infty a_n$ is a convergent series of\npositive real numbers, then so is $\\sum_{n=1}^\\infty (a_n)^{n/(n+1)}$.",
  "solution": "Solution. If \\( a_{n} \\geq 1 / 2^{n+1} \\), then\n\\[\na_{n}^{n /(n+1)}=\\frac{a_{n}}{a_{n}^{1 /(n+1)}} \\leq 2 a_{n} .\n\\]\n\nIf \\( a_{n} \\leq 1 / 2^{n+1} \\), then \\( a_{n}^{n /(n+1)} \\leq 1 / 2^{n} \\). Hence\n\\[\na_{n}^{n /(n+1)} \\leq 2 a_{n}+\\frac{1}{2^{n}}\n\\]\n\nBut \\( \\sum_{n=1}^{\\infty}\\left(2 a_{n}+1 / 2^{n}\\right) \\) converges, so \\( \\sum_{n=1}^{\\infty} a_{n}^{n /(n+1)} \\) converges by the Comparison Test [Spv, Ch. 22, Theorem 1].",
  "vars": [
    "a_n",
    "n"
  ],
  "params": [],
  "sci_consts": [],
  "variants": {
    "descriptive_long": {
      "map": {
        "a_n": "termseries",
        "n": "indexvar"
      },
      "question": "Prove that if $\\sum_{indexvar=1}^{\\infty} termseries$ is a convergent series of\npositive real numbers, then so is $\\sum_{indexvar=1}^{\\infty} (termseries)^{indexvar/(indexvar+1)}$.",
      "solution": "Solution. If \\( termseries_{indexvar} \\geq 1 / 2^{indexvar+1} \\), then\n\\[\ntermseries_{indexvar}^{indexvar /(indexvar+1)} = \\frac{termseries_{indexvar}}{termseries_{indexvar}^{1 /(indexvar+1)}} \\leq 2\\, termseries_{indexvar} .\n\\]\n\nIf \\( termseries_{indexvar} \\leq 1 / 2^{indexvar+1} \\), then \\( termseries_{indexvar}^{indexvar /(indexvar+1)} \\leq 1 / 2^{indexvar} \\). Hence\n\\[\ntermseries_{indexvar}^{indexvar /(indexvar+1)} \\leq 2\\, termseries_{indexvar} + \\frac{1}{2^{indexvar}} .\n\\]\n\nBut \\( \\sum_{indexvar=1}^{\\infty} \\left( 2\\, termseries_{indexvar} + 1 / 2^{indexvar} \\right) \\) converges, so \\( \\sum_{indexvar=1}^{\\infty} termseries_{indexvar}^{indexvar /(indexvar+1)} \\) converges by the Comparison Test [Spv, Ch. 22, Theorem 1]."
    },
    "descriptive_long_confusing": {
      "map": {
        "a_n": "generation",
        "n": "parachute"
      },
      "question": "Prove that if $\\sum_{parachute=1}^\\infty generation$ is a convergent series of\npositive real numbers, then so is $\\sum_{parachute=1}^\\infty (generation)^{parachute/(parachute+1)}$.",
      "solution": "Solution. If \\( generation \\geq 1 / 2^{parachute+1} \\), then\n\\[\ngeneration^{parachute /(parachute+1)}=\\frac{generation}{generation^{1 /(parachute+1)}} \\leq 2 generation .\n\\]\n\nIf \\( generation \\leq 1 / 2^{parachute+1} \\), then \\( generation^{parachute /(parachute+1)} \\leq 1 / 2^{parachute} \\). Hence\n\\[\ngeneration^{parachute /(parachute+1)} \\leq 2 generation+\\frac{1}{2^{parachute}}\n\\]\n\nBut \\( \\sum_{parachute=1}^{\\infty}\\left(2 generation+1 / 2^{parachute}\\right) \\) converges, so \\( \\sum_{parachute=1}^{\\infty} generation^{parachute /(parachute+1)} \\) converges by the Comparison Test [Spv, Ch. 22, Theorem 1]."
    },
    "descriptive_long_misleading": {
      "map": {
        "a_n": "negativeterm",
        "n": "finitevar"
      },
      "question": "Prove that if $\\sum_{finitevar=1}^\\infty negativeterm_{finitevar}$ is a convergent series of\npositive real numbers, then so is $\\sum_{finitevar=1}^\\infty (negativeterm_{finitevar})^{finitevar/(finitevar+1)}$.",
      "solution": "Solution. If \\( negativeterm_{finitevar} \\geq 1 / 2^{finitevar+1} \\), then\n\\[\nnegativeterm_{finitevar}^{finitevar /(finitevar+1)}=\\frac{negativeterm_{finitevar}}{negativeterm_{finitevar}^{1 /(finitevar+1)}} \\leq 2 negativeterm_{finitevar} .\n\\]\n\nIf \\( negativeterm_{finitevar} \\leq 1 / 2^{finitevar+1} \\), then \\( negativeterm_{finitevar}^{finitevar /(finitevar+1)} \\leq 1 / 2^{finitevar} \\). Hence\n\\[\nnegativeterm_{finitevar}^{finitevar /(finitevar+1)} \\leq 2 negativeterm_{finitevar}+\\frac{1}{2^{finitevar}}\n\\]\n\nBut \\( \\sum_{finitevar=1}^{\\infty}\\left(2 negativeterm_{finitevar}+1 / 2^{finitevar}\\right) \\) converges, so \\( \\sum_{finitevar=1}^{\\infty} negativeterm_{finitevar}^{finitevar /(finitevar+1)} \\) converges by the Comparison Test [Spv, Ch. 22, Theorem 1]."
    },
    "garbled_string": {
      "map": {
        "a_n": "zqxvprgh",
        "n": "hgfjdksa"
      },
      "question": "Prove that if $\\sum_{hgfjdksa=1}^\\infty zqxvprgh$ is a convergent series of positive real numbers, then so is $\\sum_{hgfjdksa=1}^\\infty (zqxvprgh)^{hgfjdksa/(hgfjdksa+1)}$.",
      "solution": "Solution. If \\( zqxvprgh \\geq 1 / 2^{hgfjdksa+1} \\), then\n\\[\nzqxvprgh^{hgfjdksa /(hgfjdksa+1)}=\\frac{zqxvprgh}{zqxvprgh^{1 /(hgfjdksa+1)}} \\leq 2 zqxvprgh .\n\\]\n\nIf \\( zqxvprgh \\leq 1 / 2^{hgfjdksa+1} \\), then \\( zqxvprgh^{hgfjdksa /(hgfjdksa+1)} \\leq 1 / 2^{hgfjdksa} \\). Hence\n\\[\nzqxvprgh^{hgfjdksa /(hgfjdksa+1)} \\leq 2 zqxvprgh+\\frac{1}{2^{hgfjdksa}}\n\\]\n\nBut \\( \\sum_{hgfjdksa=1}^{\\infty}\\left(2 zqxvprgh+1 / 2^{hgfjdksa}\\right) \\) converges, so \\( \\sum_{hgfjdksa=1}^{\\infty} zqxvprgh^{hgfjdksa /(hgfjdksa+1)} \\) converges by the Comparison Test [Spv, Ch. 22, Theorem 1]."
    },
    "kernel_variant": {
      "question": "Let $(a_n)_{n\\ge 1}$ be a sequence of positive real numbers for which the series \\[\\sum_{n=1}^{\\infty} a_n\\] converges.  Prove that the series\n\\[\n\\sum_{n=1}^{\\infty} a_n^{\\frac{n+2}{n+3}}\n\\]\nalso converges.",
      "solution": "Fix the constant c = 1/3. For each index n we distinguish two cases according to the geometric threshold c^(n+3) = (1/3)^(n+3).\n\nCase 1 (“large” terms): a_n ≥ c^(n+3). Then\n\n    a_n^((n+2)/(n+3)) = a_n / a_n^(1/(n+3)) ≤ a_n / c = 3 a_n.\n\nCase 2 (“small” terms): a_n < c^(n+3). Hence\n\n    a_n^((n+2)/(n+3)) ≤ (c^(n+3))^((n+2)/(n+3)) = c^(n+2) = (1/3)^(n+2).\n\nCombining the two estimates yields, for every n ≥ 1, the uniform bound\n\n    a_n^((n+2)/(n+3)) ≤ 3 a_n + (1/3)^(n+2).\n\nBecause ∑ a_n converges, so does ∑ 3 a_n. The series ∑ (1/3)^(n+2) is a convergent geometric series with ratio 1/3. Therefore, by the comparison test, the series ∑ a_n^((n+2)/(n+3)) also converges. ∎",
      "_meta": {
        "core_steps": [
          "Choose a geometric threshold c^{n+1} and split the indices according to a_n ≥ c^{n+1} or not",
          "For large terms write a_n^{n/(n+1)} = a_n / a_n^{1/(n+1)} and bound the denominator from below by c, giving ≤ (1/c)·a_n",
          "For small terms use a_n^{n/(n+1)} ≤ c^{n}",
          "Add the two bounds to get a_n^{n/(n+1)} ≤ (1/c)·a_n + c^{n}",
          "Both comparison series converge, so the original series converges by the Comparison Test"
        ],
        "mutable_slots": {
          "slot1": {
            "description": "Base of the geometric threshold that separates the two cases (any constant in (0,1))",
            "original": "1/2"
          },
          "slot2": {
            "description": "Multiplicative constant obtained for the 'large' terms (reciprocal of slot1)",
            "original": "2"
          },
          "slot3": {
            "description": "Geometric bound used for the 'small' terms",
            "original": "(1/2)^n"
          }
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "checked": true,
  "problem_type": "proof"
}