• Congratulations to the Class of 2025 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Limit of Bounding Products (Ext 2 Problem 16 style) (1 Viewer)

vuhung

New Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2025
Messages
9
Gender
Male
HSC
2027
I've composed a problem so student can practise with problem 16s.
Let me know what do you think.

bounding product.png
 

Attachments

Last edited:

WeiWeiMan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2023
Messages
1,234
Location
behind you
Gender
Male
HSC
2026
I've composed a problem so student can practise with problem 16s.
Let me know what do you think.

View attachment 51038
(i)
Let f(x) = ln(1+x) - x + x^2/2
f(0) =ln(1) - 0 + 0 =0
f’(x) = 1/(x+1) -1 + x
= x+1 + 1/(x+1) -2
> 2 -2 {by AM/GM for x>0, no equality since x =/= 0 => x+1 =/= 1/(x+1)
= 0
f’(x) > 0 for x > 0 and f(0) = 0
Thus, f(x) > 0 for x > 0
=> 0 < ln(1+x) -x + x^2/2
=> x - x^2/2 < ln(1+x) QED

(ii)
Let x = k/n^2 for k = 1,2,3,…, n

Via x-x^2/2 < ln(1+x) < x: [given]
1/n^2 - 1/2n^4 < ln(1+1/n^2) < 1/n^2
2/n^2 - 2^2/2n^4 < ln(1+2/n^2) < 2/n^2

n/n^2 - n^2/2n^2 < ln(1+n/n^2) < n/n^2

Adding these:
(1/n^2 + 2/n^2 + … + n/n^2) - (1/2n^4 + 2^2/2n^4 + … + n^2/2n^2) < ln[(1+1/n^2)(1+2/n^2)…(1+n/n^2)] < 1/n^2 + 2/n^2 + … + n/n^2

Factorising and simplifying a bit:

1/n^2 (1 + 2 + … + n) -1/2n^4 (1 + 2^2 + … + n^2) < ln(Pn) < 1/n^2 (1+2+… + n)

I am far too lazy to prove 1+2^2 + … + n^2 = n(n+1)(2n+1)/6 so I’ll just accept it as is

Using this alongside 1+2+…+n = n(n+1)/2 (Via AP):

n(n+1)/2n^2 - n(n+1)(2n+1)/12n^2 < ln(Pn) < n(n+1)/2n^2

Exponentiating all 3:
e^[n(n+1)/2n^2 - n(n+1)(2n+1)/12n^2] < Pn < e^[n(n+1)/2n^2]

I’ll do (iii) and (iv) later since I’m doing these on phone and it’s a genuine pain to type it out

My rough ideas are:

Sandwich/Squeeze, looks like sqrt(e)
Question literally tells you what to do
 
Last edited:

vuhung

New Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2025
Messages
9
Gender
Male
HSC
2027
Nice work Wei Wei.

You'll find some interesting findings working with part (iv), linking to part (i), Taylor expansion and the squeeze theorem.
 

WeiWeiMan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2023
Messages
1,234
Location
behind you
Gender
Male
HSC
2026
Nice work Wei Wei.

You'll find some interesting findings working with part (iv), linking to part (i), Taylor expansion and the squeeze theorem.
Yeah I’ll get it done later when I’m bothered
 

WeiWeiMan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2023
Messages
1,234
Location
behind you
Gender
Male
HSC
2026
is this even in the syllbus 💀
Almost certainly
(i), (ii) and (iii) can be very reasonably asked in 4U, however, (ii) is a bit annoying to do without the realistic ability to quote without proof that (1+2^2+3^2+...+n^2) = n(n+1)(2n+1)/6.

(iv) is nice to think about, however, not super HSC style I'm pretty sure. I think it's still a reasonable question since it tells you how you should arrive at the proof though.
 

vuhung

New Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2025
Messages
9
Gender
Male
HSC
2027
I am the author of the booklet “The Last Resorts” which the problem is taken from.
You can download the booklet from my profile page.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top