[Math] Does $f_{n}(x)=n\cos^n x \sin x$ uniformly converge for $x \in [0,\frac{\pi}{2}]$

calculusconvergence-divergencereal-analysis

I want to check whether the following function is uniformly converges:
$f_n(x)=n\cos^nx\sin x$ for $x \in \left[0,\frac{\pi}{2} \right]$.

I proved that the $\lim \limits_{n \to \infty}f_{n}(x)=0$ for every $x$. I'd love your help with the uniformly continues convergence. I always get confused with it. I already showed that $|f_n(x) – 0|< \epsilon$. What else should I show or how should I refute the claim?

Thanks a lot.

Best Answer

We use the following claim:

Let $a,b$ two real numbers and $\{f_n\}$ a sequence of continuous functions on $\left[a,b\right]$ which converges uniformly to $f$ on $[a,b]$. Then $$\lim_{n\to\infty}\int_a^bf_n(t)dt=\int_a^bf(t)dt.$$

Indeed, we have $$\left|\int_a^bf_n(t)dt-\int_a^bf(t)dt\right|\leq (b-a)\sup_{a\leq x\leq b}|f_n(x)-f(x)|,$$ which converges to $0$ thanks to the uniform convergence on $[a,b]$.

In our case, we have $$\int_0^{\frac{\pi}2}f_n(x)dx=n\left[-\frac{(\cos x)^{n+1}}{n+1}\right]_0^{\frac \pi 2}=\frac n{n+1}\to 1,$$ whereas $f_n$ converges pointwise to $0$. This shows that the convergence cannot be uniform.

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