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Cauchy-sequence convergence monitor

What you are seeing: partial sums of a chosen series with the Cauchy width w(N0)=maxn,mN0anamw(N_0) = \max_{n,m \ge N_0} |a_n - a_m| as the convergence diagnostic. A sequence is convergent iff w(N0)0w(N_0) \to 0 as N0N_0 grows. Geometric and ζ(2)\zeta(2) series shrink fast; the harmonic series fails to be Cauchy and its width grows logarithmically.

Figure 1. Partial sums and the Cauchy tail width.
sequence arctan
N_010
log10 epsilon3.2e-2

WHAT TO TRY

  • Vary each control and watch the rail readouts respond.
  • Compare the diagnostic plot against the live scene.