MHB Proving an inequality with square roots

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The discussion revolves around proving two inequalities involving square roots and their application to a summation. The first inequality, \(2(\sqrt{n+1}-\sqrt{n})<\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}<2(\sqrt{n}-\sqrt{n-1})\) for \(n \geq 1\), has been successfully established. The user then attempts to derive the sum inequality \(2\sqrt{m}-2<\sum_{n=1}^m\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}<2\sqrt{m}-1\) for \(m \geq 2\) but struggles with the right side. A suggestion is made to replace the incorrect inequality \(\frac{1}{\sqrt{1}}<2(\sqrt{1}-\sqrt{0})\) with \(\frac{1}{\sqrt{1}}\leq 1\), which would help in completing the proof. The conversation highlights the importance of careful inequality management in mathematical proofs.
Ragnarok7
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This is problem 13 from section I 4.7 of Apostol's Calculus Volume 1:

Prove that $$2(\sqrt{n+1}-\sqrt{n})<\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}<2(\sqrt{n}-\sqrt{n-1})$$ if $$n\geq 1$$. Then use this to prove that $$2\sqrt{m}-2<\displaystyle\sum_{n=1}^m\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}<2\sqrt{m}-1$$ if $$m\geq 2$$.

I have proved the first inequality, and using that I took $$n=1,2,\ldots,m$$ to get the following inequalities:

$$2(\sqrt{2}-\sqrt{1})<\frac{1}{\sqrt{1}}<2(\sqrt{1}-\sqrt{0})$$
$$2(\sqrt{3}-\sqrt{2})<\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}<2(\sqrt{2}-\sqrt{1})$$
$$2(\sqrt{4}-\sqrt{3})<\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}<2(\sqrt{3}-\sqrt{2})$$
$$\vdots$$
$$2(\sqrt{m+1}-\sqrt{m})<\frac{1}{\sqrt{m}}<2(\sqrt{m}-\sqrt{m-1})$$

Adding them, I get

$$2(\sqrt{m+1}-\sqrt{1})<\displaystyle\sum_{n=1}^m\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}<2\sqrt{m}$$

and, since $$\sqrt{m+1}>\sqrt{m}$$, this implies

$$2\sqrt{m}-2<\displaystyle\sum_{n=1}^m\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}<2\sqrt{m}$$

so that the left inequality is the desired one. However, I'm unsure how to get the right side. Does anyone have any hints? Thank you!
 
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Ragnarok said:
This is problem 13 from section I 4.7 of Apostol's Calculus Volume 1:

Prove that $$2(\sqrt{n+1}-\sqrt{n})<\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}<2(\sqrt{n}-\sqrt{n-1})$$ if $$n\geq 1$$. Then use this to prove that $$2\sqrt{m}-2<\displaystyle\sum_{n=1}^m\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}<2\sqrt{m}-1$$ if $$m\geq 2$$.

I have proved the first inequality, and using that I took $$n=1,2,\ldots,m$$ to get the following inequalities:

$$2(\sqrt{2}-\sqrt{1})< \color{red}{\frac{1}{\sqrt{1}}<2(\sqrt{1}-\sqrt{0})}$$
$$2(\sqrt{3}-\sqrt{2})<\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}<2(\sqrt{2}-\sqrt{1})$$
$$2(\sqrt{4}-\sqrt{3})<\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}<2(\sqrt{3}-\sqrt{2})$$
$$\vdots$$
$$2(\sqrt{m+1}-\sqrt{m})<\frac{1}{\sqrt{m}}<2(\sqrt{m}-\sqrt{m-1})$$

Adding them, I get

$$2(\sqrt{m+1}-\sqrt{1})<\displaystyle\sum_{n=1}^m\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}<2\sqrt{m}$$

and, since $$\sqrt{m+1}>\sqrt{m}$$, this implies

$$2\sqrt{m}-2<\displaystyle\sum_{n=1}^m\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}<2\sqrt{m}$$

so that the left inequality is the desired one. However, I'm unsure how to get the right side. Does anyone have any hints? Thank you!
The inequality in red, $\frac{1}{\sqrt{1}}<2(\sqrt{1}-\sqrt{0})$, says that $1<2$. You could improve that if you replace it by $\frac{1}{\sqrt{1}}\leqslant 1$. Then when you add the right inequalities, you should get what you want.
 
Ah! Very nice. Thank you!
 
Here is a little puzzle from the book 100 Geometric Games by Pierre Berloquin. The side of a small square is one meter long and the side of a larger square one and a half meters long. One vertex of the large square is at the center of the small square. The side of the large square cuts two sides of the small square into one- third parts and two-thirds parts. What is the area where the squares overlap?

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