Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
A series or sequence diverges if it does not converge to a finite limit. This means the terms do not approach a specific value as they progress to infinity.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
A series is said to diverge if the partial sums do not approach a finite limit.
An infinite sequence diverges if its terms do not tend towards a single number as the index increases.
A common test for divergence is the nth-term test, which states that if $\lim_{n \to \infty} a_n \neq 0$, then the series $\sum a_n$ diverges.
Geometric series with $|r| \geq 1$ will always diverge.
If a series alternates in sign but does not satisfy the conditions of the Alternating Series Test, it may still diverge.
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Related terms
Converges: A sequence or series converges if its terms approach a specific, finite value as they progress to infinity.
Partial Sums: The sum of the first n terms of a series. Used to analyze convergence or divergence.
$nth$-term Test: $nth$-term test states that if $\lim_{n \to \infty}a_n \neq0$, then $\sum{a_n}$ diverges.