ProofReal AnalysisIntroProof Builder

Proof that every convergent sequence is bounded

This theorem is a standard follow-up to the definition of convergence because it shows how one tail estimate plus finitely many early terms gives a global bound on the whole sequence.

Primary Tool

Proof Builder

Open proof builder

Proof Builder keeps the two-part structure visible: first bound the tail using convergence, then fold the finitely many earlier terms into one maximum. That split is the whole proof.

Why the proof starts with

Convergence says that eventually the sequence stays within any positive distance of its limit. To prove boundedness you do not need a tiny distance. You only need one concrete tail bound.

Choosing gives a simple statement: after some index , every term lies inside the interval . That immediately bounds the tail by .

Where the maximum comes from

Convergence never says anything directly about the first finitely many terms. Those terms could be large, but there are only finitely many of them.

That is why the proof takes a maximum of the finitely many head terms together with the tail bound . One number then controls the entire sequence.

Common Pitfall

The convergence estimate only controls terms after some index. You still need a separate argument for the finitely many earlier terms, which is why the proof introduces a maximum.

Try a Variation

Try rewriting the proof with instead of . Which part of the argument stays the same, and which constant changes?

Related Pages

Keep moving through the cluster

Back to Learn Math →