TITLE: To show that ${x_n}$ is convergent where $|x_{n+1} - x_n|< \frac{1}{n^2}$
QUESTION [6 upvotes]: Let ${x_n}$ be a sequence in $R$ such that $|x_{n+1} - x_n|< \frac{1}{n^2}$ for all $n \in N$.
Show that the sequence is convergent.
If it were $|x_{n+1} - x_n|= \frac{1}{n^2}$, could take help of the fact $\sum \frac{1}{n^2}$ is convergent and of triangular inequality.
But what to do here? Please help. Thanks in advance.

REPLY [2 votes]: We can also rephrase the problem so that we study series rather than sequences.
If we denote $a_1=x_1$ and $a_n=x_n-x_{n-1}$ for $n\ge2$, then
$$x_n = \sum_{k=1}^n a_k.$$
(It is a telescoping series.)
The question whether the sequence $x_n$ is convergent is equivalent to the question whether the series $\sum a_n$ is convergent. (By definition, convergence of a series is equivalent to convergence of the partial sums.) 
Since 
$$\sum_{k=1}^\infty |a_k| \le \sum_{k=1}^\infty \frac1{k^2} < +\infty,$$
the series $\sum a_n$ is absolutely convergent and therefore convergent.
So the sequence $x_n$ is convergent, too.