Z x

ln(t + 1)
g(x) = dt, |x| ≤ 1/2
0 t
Geometric series
∞
1
= 1 + x + x2 + x3 + . . . = xn ,
X
converges absolutely for |x| < 1
1−x n=0

∞
1
(−1)n un ,
X
= |u| < 1
1 + u n=0
Z t Z tX∞
1
du = (−1)n un du, |t| < 1
0 1+u 0 n=0

∞ ∞
X (−1)n n+1 X (−1)n n+1
ln(1 + t) − ln(1 + 0) = t − 0
n=0 n + 1 n=0 n + 1

∞
X (−1)n n+1
ln(1 + t) = t
n=0 n + 1
∞
ln(t + 1) X (−1)n n
= t converges absolutely for |t| < 1
t n=0 n + 1
∞ ∞ Z x ∞ ∞
Z xX
(−1)n n X (−1)n n X (−1)n n+1 X (−1)k+1 k
g(x) = t dt = t dt = 2
x = 0+ x , |x| < 1
0 n=0 n + 1 n=0 0 n + 1 n=0 (n + 1) k=1 (k)2
The remainder term of Taylor’s series
xn+1 (n+1)
Rn (x) = g (cx ), cx value between 0 and x
(n + 1)!

1 1
|x| ≤ ⇒ |Rn (x)| ≤ n+1 |g (n+1) (cx )|
2 2 (n + 1)!

It is hard to estimate |g (n+1) (cx )|.

Solution: estimate directly |g(x) − Sn−1 (x)|,

∞
X (−1)n n+1
g(x) = 2
x , |x| ≤ 1/2
n=0 (n + 1)

n−1
X (−1)k k+1
Sn−1 = 2
x
k=0 (k + 1)
∞
 
(−1)n k+1 
X
|Rn (x)| = |g(x) − Sn−1 (x)| = 
 2
x 
k=n (k + 1)
 

1
By the triangular inequality
∞ ∞ ∞
X 1 k
X 1 1 X 1
|Rn (x)| ≤ 2
|x| ≤ 2 k
≤ 2 n+1 k
k=n+1 (k) k=n+1 (k) 2 (n + 1) 2 k=0 2

1 1 2
≤ ≤ , |x| ≤ 1/2
(n + 1)2 2n+1 1 − 1/2 (n + 1)2 2n+1
Determine n
2 1 2 1 1
2 n+1
≤ 2 n+1
= n+2 ≤ 10−7
(n + 1) 2 (2) 2 2
−(n + 2) log10 2 ≤ −7
7
(n + 2) ≥
log10 2
7
n≥ − 2 > 21
log10 2

Another approach for the positive values x

For |x| ≤ 1/2 g(x) is represented by the alternating series
∞
X (−1)n n+1
g(x) = 2
x ,
n=0 (n + 1)

Alternating series error estimate

Then
1 1
|Rn (x)| = |g(x) − Sn1 (x)| ≤ 2 n+1
, 0 < x ≤ 1/2
(n + 1) 2
The following conditions for the alternating series are satisfied
1 k 1
2
x ≥ xk+1 , 0 < x ≤ 1/2
(k) (k + 1)2
1 k 1 1
lim x ≤ lim =0
k→∞ (k)2 k→∞ (k)2 2k