Prove that for any positive integer n, 2⋅3⋅34⋅⋯⋅n−1n>n.
Solution
For 2≤k≤n, the GM-HM inequality for the numbers k,…,k,1, with k repeated k−2 times, gives k−1=k−1(k−1)2=k−1k(k−2)+1≥k−1kk−2=k−1kkk−1=k−1kk Hence k−1k≥k−1k for every k=2,3,…,n, with equality only for k=2. Therefore 2⋅3⋅34⋅⋯⋅n−1n>12⋅23⋅34⋅⋯⋅n−1n=n.
Solution 2: For 2≤k≤n, the HM-GM inequality for the numbers 1,…,1,k (with 1 repeated k−2 times) gives k−1k≥k−2+k1k−1=(k−2)k+1(k−1)k=(k−1)2(k−1)k=k−1k, with equality only for k=2. We continue as in solution 1.
Solution 3: From the binomial theorem, (k−1k)k−1=(1+k−11)k−1=(k−1)0(0k−1)+(k−1)1(1k−1)+⋯+(k−1)k−1(k−1k−1). There are k summands, of which (k−1)0(0k−1)=(k−1)1(1k−1)=1, and for 1<i≤k−1 (k−1)i(ik−1)=i!(k−1)i(k−1)⋯(k−i)<(k−1)i(k−1)⋯(k−i)<1. Therefore (k−1k)k−1≤k times1+1+⋯+1=k, whence k−1k≥k−1k, with equality only for k=2. We continue as in solution 1.
Solution 4: We show that kk>(k+1)k−1 for k≥2. The case k=2 is obvious. Suppose now that kk>(k+1)k−1 holds for some k, and let's prove (k+1)k+1>(k+2)k. Note that (k+1)k+1⋅(k+1)k−1=(k+1)2k=(k2+2k+1)k>(k2+2k)k=(k(k+2))k=kk⋅(k+2)k, giving kk(k+1)k+1>(k+1)k−1(k+2)k. This combined with the induction assumption gives (k+1)k+1=kk(k+1)k+1⋅kk>(k+1)k−1(k+2)k⋅(k+1)k−1=(k+2)k. We have proven kk>(k+1)k−1, which is equivalent to k−1k>kk+1. Therefore k−1k>kn for k=2,3,…,n−1, and 2⋅3⋅34⋯n−1n>(n−1n)n−1=n.
Solution 5: We give another proof for the inequality kk>(k+1)k−1. It is equivalent to k⋅(k+1k)k−1>1, or k⋅k−1 timesk+1k⋯k+1k>1. Note that for x<k+1, x−x⋅k+1k=x⋅(1−k+1k)=x⋅k+11<1. Therefore, multiplication with each factor k+1k decreases the product by less than 1; cumulatively the product becomes smaller by less than k−1. Therefore k⋅(k+1k)k−1>k−(k−1)=1.
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