# Stolz–Cesàro theorem

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In mathematics, the Stolz–Cesàro theorem is a criterion for proving the convergence of a sequence. The theorem is named after mathematicians Otto Stolz and Ernesto Cesàro, who stated and proved it for the first time.

The Stolz–Cesàro theorem can be viewed as a generalization of the Cesàro mean, but also as a l'Hôpital's rule for sequences.

## Statement of the Theorem (the ∙/∞ case)

Let ${\displaystyle (a_{n})_{n\geq 1}}$ and ${\displaystyle (b_{n})_{n\geq 1}}$ be two sequences of real numbers. Assume that ${\displaystyle (b_{n})_{n\geq 1}}$ is strictly monotone and divergent sequence (i.e. strictly increasing and approaches ${\displaystyle +\infty }$ or strictly decreasing and approaches ${\displaystyle -\infty }$) and the following limit exists:

${\displaystyle \lim _{n\to \infty }{\frac {a_{n+1}-a_{n}}{b_{n+1}-b_{n}}}=\ell .\ }$

Then, the limit

${\displaystyle \lim _{n\to \infty }{\frac {a_{n}}{b_{n}}}\ }$

also exists and it is equal to .

## History

The ∞/∞ case is stated and proved on pages 173—175 of Stolz's 1885 book S and also on page 54 of Cesàro's 1888 article C.

It appears as Problem 70 in Pólya and Szegő.

## The General Form

The general form of the Stolz–Cesàro theorem is the following:[1] If ${\displaystyle (a_{n})_{n\geq 1}}$ and ${\displaystyle (b_{n})_{n\geq 1}}$ are two sequences such that ${\displaystyle (b_{n})_{n\geq 1}}$ is monotone and unbounded, then:

${\displaystyle \liminf _{n\to \infty }{\frac {a_{n+1}-a_{n}}{b_{n+1}-b_{n}}}\leq \liminf _{n\to \infty }{\frac {a_{n}}{b_{n}}}\leq \limsup _{n\to \infty }{\frac {a_{n}}{b_{n}}}\leq \limsup _{n\to \infty }{\frac {a_{n+1}-a_{n}}{b_{n+1}-b_{n}}}.}$