- #1
Heute
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Hi folks. We're working towards understanding limits in my math class and, as part of that, here's one of our exercises:
Find a natural number N so that absValue( (2n+3)/(4n+5)-1/2 )<.01 for all n > N
After some fiddling around with the absolute value, I have very good reasons to suspect that absValue( (2x+3)/(4x+5)-1/2 )<.01 for all real numbers x greater than or equal to 11.25. So, that would make N 11 assuming n is also a natural number.
By substituting 12 (the next natural number greater than N) for n in the original expression absValue( (2n+3)/(4n+5)-1/2 ), it simplifies to ~.0094 which is obviously less than .01.
It is fairly easy to show that the terms of a sequence given by (2n+3)/(4n+5) are strictly decreasing, so it makes sense then that if ( (2n+3)/(4n+5)-1/2 )<.01 then the same will be true for n+1 and n+2 and so on.
We also know that the terms of the sequence given by (2n+3)/(4n+5) are always positive.
So, at this point I know these three things:
1. When n=12, absValue( (2n+3)/(4n+5)-1/2 )<.01
2. The sequence where the nth term is given by (2n+3)/(4n+5) is strictly decreasing
3. The sequence where the nth term is given by (2n+3)/(4n+5) is always positive
But I don't think this is enough to prove that absValue( (2n+3)/(4n+5)-1/2 )<.01 for all n > 12
I've been thinking about using induction to prove it, but I'm not sure how to go about doing so.
Homework Statement
Find a natural number N so that absValue( (2n+3)/(4n+5)-1/2 )<.01 for all n > N
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
After some fiddling around with the absolute value, I have very good reasons to suspect that absValue( (2x+3)/(4x+5)-1/2 )<.01 for all real numbers x greater than or equal to 11.25. So, that would make N 11 assuming n is also a natural number.
By substituting 12 (the next natural number greater than N) for n in the original expression absValue( (2n+3)/(4n+5)-1/2 ), it simplifies to ~.0094 which is obviously less than .01.
It is fairly easy to show that the terms of a sequence given by (2n+3)/(4n+5) are strictly decreasing, so it makes sense then that if ( (2n+3)/(4n+5)-1/2 )<.01 then the same will be true for n+1 and n+2 and so on.
We also know that the terms of the sequence given by (2n+3)/(4n+5) are always positive.
So, at this point I know these three things:
1. When n=12, absValue( (2n+3)/(4n+5)-1/2 )<.01
2. The sequence where the nth term is given by (2n+3)/(4n+5) is strictly decreasing
3. The sequence where the nth term is given by (2n+3)/(4n+5) is always positive
But I don't think this is enough to prove that absValue( (2n+3)/(4n+5)-1/2 )<.01 for all n > 12
I've been thinking about using induction to prove it, but I'm not sure how to go about doing so.