Post History
#2: Post edited
- A quick plot of the function shows that the limit is supposed to be zero:
- 
- Now we give a proof.
Yes. The substitution $t=1/x$ is only for readability; the whole proof can be written directly in terms of $x$ and $N$.- Let
- $$
- N=\left\lfloor \frac1x\right\rfloor.
- $$
- For $0\lt x\lt 1/2$, we have $N\ge 1$, and
- $$
- 0\le \sum_{n=N}^{\infty}\frac{x^n}{n}
- \le \frac1N\sum_{n=N}^{\infty}x^n
- =
- \frac{x^N}{N(1-x)}.
- $$
- Therefore
- $$
- 0\le e^{1/x}\sum_{n=N}^{\infty}\frac{x^n}{n}
- \le
- \frac{e^{1/x}x^N}{N(1-x)}.
- $$
- Now use only facts about $N=\lfloor 1/x\rfloor$. Since
- $$
- N\ge \frac1x-1,
- $$
- and $0\lt x\lt 1$, larger exponents make $x^a$ smaller. Hence
- $$
- x^N\le x^{1/x-1}.
- $$
- Also, for $0\lt x\lt 1/2$,
- $$
- N=\left\lfloor \frac1x\right\rfloor
- \ge \frac1x-1
- \ge \frac{1}{2x}.
- $$
- Thus
- $$
- \frac{e^{1/x}x^N}{N(1-x)}
- \le
- \frac{e^{1/x}x^{1/x-1}}{(1/(2x))(1-x)}.
- $$
- Simplifying the right-hand side gives
- $$
- \frac{e^{1/x}x^{1/x-1}}{(1/(2x))(1-x)}
- =
- \frac{2}{1-x}(ex)^{1/x}.
- $$
- Therefore
- $$
- 0\le e^{1/x}\sum_{n=N}^{\infty}\frac{x^n}{n}
- \le
- \frac{2}{1-x}(ex)^{1/x}.
- $$
- Finally,
- $$
- (ex)^{1/x}\to 0
- $$
- because
- $$
- \log\left((ex)^{1/x}\right)
- =
- \frac{1+\log x}{x}\to -\infty
- \qquad (x\to 0^+).
- $$
- Also,
- $$
- \frac{2}{1-x}\to 2.
- $$
- Hence the upper bound goes to $0$. By the squeeze theorem,
- $$
- \boxed{
- \lim_{x\to 0^+}e^{1/x}\sum_{n=\lfloor 1/x\rfloor}^{\infty}\frac{x^n}{n}
- =0.
- }
- $$
- A quick plot of the function shows that the limit is supposed to be zero:
- 
- Now we give a proof.
- Let
- $$
- N=\left\lfloor \frac1x\right\rfloor.
- $$
- For $0\lt x\lt 1/2$, we have $N\ge 1$, and
- $$
- 0\le \sum_{n=N}^{\infty}\frac{x^n}{n}
- \le \frac1N\sum_{n=N}^{\infty}x^n
- =
- \frac{x^N}{N(1-x)}.
- $$
- Therefore
- $$
- 0\le e^{1/x}\sum_{n=N}^{\infty}\frac{x^n}{n}
- \le
- \frac{e^{1/x}x^N}{N(1-x)}.
- $$
- Now use only facts about $N=\lfloor 1/x\rfloor$. Since
- $$
- N\ge \frac1x-1,
- $$
- and $0\lt x\lt 1$, larger exponents make $x^a$ smaller. Hence
- $$
- x^N\le x^{1/x-1}.
- $$
- Also, for $0\lt x\lt 1/2$,
- $$
- N=\left\lfloor \frac1x\right\rfloor
- \ge \frac1x-1
- \ge \frac{1}{2x}.
- $$
- Thus
- $$
- \frac{e^{1/x}x^N}{N(1-x)}
- \le
- \frac{e^{1/x}x^{1/x-1}}{(1/(2x))(1-x)}.
- $$
- Simplifying the right-hand side gives
- $$
- \frac{e^{1/x}x^{1/x-1}}{(1/(2x))(1-x)}
- =
- \frac{2}{1-x}(ex)^{1/x}.
- $$
- Therefore
- $$
- 0\le e^{1/x}\sum_{n=N}^{\infty}\frac{x^n}{n}
- \le
- \frac{2}{1-x}(ex)^{1/x}.
- $$
- Finally,
- $$
- (ex)^{1/x}\to 0
- $$
- because
- $$
- \log\left((ex)^{1/x}\right)
- =
- \frac{1+\log x}{x}\to -\infty
- \qquad (x\to 0^+).
- $$
- Also,
- $$
- \frac{2}{1-x}\to 2.
- $$
- Hence the upper bound goes to $0$. By the squeeze theorem,
- $$
- \boxed{
- \lim_{x\to 0^+}e^{1/x}\sum_{n=\lfloor 1/x\rfloor}^{\infty}\frac{x^n}{n}
- =0.
- }
- $$
#1: Initial revision
A quick plot of the function shows that the limit is supposed to be zero:

Now we give a proof.
Yes. The substitution $t=1/x$ is only for readability; the whole proof can be written directly in terms of $x$ and $N$.
Let
$$
N=\left\lfloor \frac1x\right\rfloor.
$$
For $0\lt x\lt 1/2$, we have $N\ge 1$, and
$$
0\le \sum_{n=N}^{\infty}\frac{x^n}{n}
\le \frac1N\sum_{n=N}^{\infty}x^n
=
\frac{x^N}{N(1-x)}.
$$
Therefore
$$
0\le e^{1/x}\sum_{n=N}^{\infty}\frac{x^n}{n}
\le
\frac{e^{1/x}x^N}{N(1-x)}.
$$
Now use only facts about $N=\lfloor 1/x\rfloor$. Since
$$
N\ge \frac1x-1,
$$
and $0\lt x\lt 1$, larger exponents make $x^a$ smaller. Hence
$$
x^N\le x^{1/x-1}.
$$
Also, for $0\lt x\lt 1/2$,
$$
N=\left\lfloor \frac1x\right\rfloor
\ge \frac1x-1
\ge \frac{1}{2x}.
$$
Thus
$$
\frac{e^{1/x}x^N}{N(1-x)}
\le
\frac{e^{1/x}x^{1/x-1}}{(1/(2x))(1-x)}.
$$
Simplifying the right-hand side gives
$$
\frac{e^{1/x}x^{1/x-1}}{(1/(2x))(1-x)}
=
\frac{2}{1-x}(ex)^{1/x}.
$$
Therefore
$$
0\le e^{1/x}\sum_{n=N}^{\infty}\frac{x^n}{n}
\le
\frac{2}{1-x}(ex)^{1/x}.
$$
Finally,
$$
(ex)^{1/x}\to 0
$$
because
$$
\log\left((ex)^{1/x}\right)
=
\frac{1+\log x}{x}\to -\infty
\qquad (x\to 0^+).
$$
Also,
$$
\frac{2}{1-x}\to 2.
$$
Hence the upper bound goes to $0$. By the squeeze theorem,
$$
\boxed{
\lim_{x\to 0^+}e^{1/x}\sum_{n=\lfloor 1/x\rfloor}^{\infty}\frac{x^n}{n}
=0.
}
$$
