Wallis Product into Stirlings Formula

In summary, the conversation is discussing the calculation of the Wallis Product and how it leads to the approximation of the square root of 2pi. The conversation also touches on the standard Stirling's Formula and the steps needed to get from the Wallis Product to the desired result.
  • #1
rbzima
84
0
Hey all, I'm having a difficult time seeing why the approximation of the Wallis Product equals the square root of 2pi.

I know for a fact that:

[tex]\pi\approx\left(\frac{2*4*6*8*\ldots*\left(2n\right)}{1*3*5*7*\ldots*\left(2n-1\right)}\right)\frac{1}{n}[/tex]

How then does this produce:

[tex]\frac{\left(n!\right)^{2}\left(2^{2n}\right)}{\left(2n\right)!}=\sqrt{2\pi}[/tex]
 
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  • #2
The standard Stirlings Formula is
[tex]\sqrt{2\pi}\approx(\frac{e}{n})^n\frac{n!}{\sqrt{n}}[/tex]
I think
 
  • #3
I know, that's what I'm getting to later on in the proof, however getting through this step is a little bit of a mess to me. I already know that [tex]\sqrt{2\pi}\approx(\frac{e}{n})^n\frac{n!}{\sqrt{n }}[/tex]

I'm trying to get from [tex]\pi\approx\left(\frac{2*4*6*8*\ldots*\left(2n\righ t)}{1*3*5*7*\ldots*\left(2n-1\right)}\right)\frac{1}{n}[/tex]

to
[tex]\frac{\left(n!\right)^{2}\left(2^{2n}\right)}{\left(2n)!}[/tex] = [tex]\sqrt{2\pi}[/tex]

and I'm not sure how to do that.
 
Last edited:
  • #4
You're not going to, because it should be [tex]2\pi[/tex] rather than [tex]\sqrt{2\pi}[/tex]. To do that, try:
(1) Let the expression in the numerator be E. Multiply by E/E. What's the denominator now?
(2) factor a 2 out of every term in the numerator. What does that look like now?
(3) Win!
 

1. What is the Wallis Product?

The Wallis Product is an infinite product that can be used to approximate the value of pi. It was first derived by English mathematician John Wallis in the 17th century.

2. What is Stirling's Formula?

Stirling's Formula is a mathematical formula that approximates the factorial of a large number. It was first discovered by Scottish mathematician James Stirling in the 18th century.

3. How are the Wallis Product and Stirling's Formula related?

The Wallis Product can be used to approximate the value of pi, which is a key component in Stirling's Formula. Stirling's Formula also utilizes logarithms, which are derived from the Wallis Product.

4. Can the Wallis Product be used to calculate the factorial of a number?

No, the Wallis Product is only used to approximate the value of pi. Stirling's Formula, on the other hand, can be used to calculate the factorial of a large number.

5. How accurate is the approximation of pi using the Wallis Product and Stirling's Formula?

The accuracy of the approximation depends on the number of terms used in the Wallis Product and the accuracy of the logarithm function used in Stirling's Formula. Generally, the more terms used and the more accurate the logarithm function, the more accurate the approximation will be.

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