See attached image for work.
Answer:
Maisha ran the race in .36 seconds faster than Patti.
8.4 - 8.04 = .36
I think the given series is

You can use the integral test because the summand is clearly positive and decreasing. Then

Substitute <em>u</em> = <em>x</em> ³ + 1 and d<em>u</em> = 3<em>x</em> ² d<em>x</em>, so the integral becomes

As <em>u</em> approaches infinity, we have ln(<em>u</em>) also approaching infinity (whereas 1/3 ln(9) is finite), so the integral and hence the sum diverges.