Trying to understand $\sup$ and $\limsup$ of a sequence.

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The following is the sequence and a problem that I am working on.

$\{x_n\} = (-1)^n + \frac{1}{n} + 2\sin(\frac{n\pi}{2})$

Find the $\sup$, $\inf$, $\limsup$ and $\liminf$ of this sequence.

Writing out the sequence, I noticed that because of the trig part, there were 4 main subsequences that tells me that $\{1,-3\}$ are the limit points where three of the main subsequences all go to $1$.

The first term gave me the largest term $2$, so that is the $\sup$.

It seemed like there was no inf because the decreasing subsequence goes to $-3$ but there was not term less than that.

So this is my summary:

$$\sup x_n = 2, \inf x_n = \varnothing, \limsup x_n = 1, \liminf x_n = -3 $$

I am a dilettante in analysis and I feel like I'm starting to get it... but I need to confirm if I'm doing this right.

Any comments?

Note: the sequence was edited so the problem is different.

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1
On BEST ANSWER

Your analysis is fine. We say precisely the same thing below.

Look first at the sum of the first and third terms. We start at $n=1$. The first terms go $-1,1,-1, 1,\dots$, cycling with period $2$. The third terms go $2,0,-2,0,2,\dots$, cycling with period $4$.

So their sum goes $1,1,-3,1, 1,1,-3,1,\dots,$ cycling with period $4$.

When we add the middle term, we get $$1+1,1+\frac{1}{2}, -3+\frac{1}{3}, 1+\frac{1}{4}, 1+\frac{1}{5}, 1+\frac{1}{6}, -3+\frac{1}{7}, \dots.$$

The big guy is easy to pick out, it is the first term $2$. There is no littlest.

The biggest number $a$ which has an infinite subsequence that has $a$ as a limit is $1$, and the smallest number $b$ which has an infinite subsequence that has $b$ as a limit is $-3$.

5
On

Note that

$$\sin\frac{n\pi}2=\begin{cases}\;\;0&,\;\;n=0,2\bmod 4\\{}\\\;\;1&,\;\;n=1\bmod 4\\{}\\\!\!-1&,\;\;n=3\bmod 4\end{cases}$$

and from here

$$(-1)^n+1+2\sin\frac{n\pi}2=\begin{cases}\;\;2&,\;\;n=0,1,2\bmod 4\\{}\\\!\!-2&,\;\;n=3\bmod 4\end{cases}$$

Since the above cover all the possibilities for an index $\,n\,$ , the set of partial limits simply is $\;\{-2\,,\,2\}\;$