We know that
limx→∞e−xxn=0
for any n. But I assume that usually, this is stated with the understanding that n is finite. But what happens when we take the limit
limn→∞limx→∞e−xxn=0?
The context is that I have an infinite sum of the form
limn→∞n∑i=0e−xxi, and I want to study its behavior as x→∞. In summary,
Does
limx→∞∞∑i=0e−xxi,
converge?
This question seems to indicate that the answer might be yes, but I wonder if taking n→∞ messes anything up?
Answer
The issue is one of interchanging the order of limits. Note that we have
limn→∞limx→∞n∑i=0e−xxi=limn→∞n∑i=0limx→∞(e−xxi)=limn→∞n∑i=0(0)=0
Here, we first hold n fixed and let x→∞. The result of the inner limit is 0 for any n. Then, letting n→∞ produces 0 as the result.
However, if the order of the limits is interchanged, then we have
limx→∞limn→∞n∑i=0e−xxi=limx→∞limn→∞e−x(xn+1−1x−1)
which diverges since limn→∞xn=∞ for x>1. In this case, we first hold x>1 fixed and take the limit as n→∞. The resultant limit diverges and renders the outer limit as x→∞ meaningless.
Aside, we ask what is the limit, if it exists, of e−xxx as x→∞? We find that
limx→∞e−xxx=limx→∞e−xexlog(x)=limx→∞exlog(x/e)=∞
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