Is the Infinite Sqrt Series Finite?

  • Thread starter Thread starter PEZenfuego
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Infinite Series
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the convergence of the infinite nested radical series defined as √(1 + √(2 + √(3 + √(4 + √(5...))))). It references Herschfeld's 1935 proof that such series converge if the sequence x_n^(2^(-n)) is bounded. The analysis shows that for this series, the nth term is n, and the function f(n) = n^(2^(-n)) is indeed bounded. Consequently, the nested radical converges to approximately 1.7579327566180045327. This confirms that the infinite series has a finite value.
PEZenfuego
Messages
48
Reaction score
0
I heard something interesting today, but I am skeptical. I heard that a certain infinite series has a finite answer and I was curious as to whether or not this was true and if we can prove it either way.

This is the series:

\sqrt{1+\sqrt{2+\sqrt{3+\sqrt{4+\sqrt{5...}}}}}

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
Taken from Wolfram Mathworld:

Wolfram Mathworld said:
Herschfeld (1935) proved that a nested radical of real nonnegative terms converges iff x_n^{2^{-n}} is bounded.

So, the question is, is xn^(2^(-n)) bounded? To answer this, we realize that the nth term of x is simply n, and so we check the function...

f(n)=n^{2^{-n}}

And we find that indeed, this function is bounded. So yes, your nested radical is convergent.
 
\sqrt{1+\sqrt{2+\sqrt{3+\sqrt{4+\sqrt{5...}}}}}\approx 1.7579327566180045327
 
Suppose ,instead of the usual x,y coordinate system with an I basis vector along the x -axis and a corresponding j basis vector along the y-axis we instead have a different pair of basis vectors ,call them e and f along their respective axes. I have seen that this is an important subject in maths My question is what physical applications does such a model apply to? I am asking here because I have devoted quite a lot of time in the past to understanding convectors and the dual...
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. In Dirac’s Principles of Quantum Mechanics published in 1930 he introduced a “convenient notation” he referred to as a “delta function” which he treated as a continuum analog to the discrete Kronecker delta. The Kronecker delta is simply the indexed components of the identity operator in matrix algebra Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/what-exactly-is-diracs-delta-function/ by...

Similar threads

Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
20
Views
2K
Replies
8
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
7K
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
5
Views
2K
Back
Top