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Algebra Difficulty 8.5 Shortlist Prove it

(1) For real numbers x, ax,\ a such that 0<x<a,0<x<a, prove the following inequality.
2xa<axa+x1t dt<x(1a+x+1ax).\frac{2x}{a}<\int_{a-x}^{a+x}\frac{1}{t}\ dt<x\left(\frac{1}{a+x}+\frac{1}{a-x}\right).
(2) Use the result of (1)(1) to prove that 0.68<ln2<0.71.0.68<\ln 2<0.71.

Solution

1. To prove the inequality 2xa<axa+x1tdt<x(1a+x+1ax)\frac{2x}{a}<\int_{a-x}^{a+x}\frac{1}{t}\, dt<x\left(\frac{1}{a+x}+\frac{1}{a-x}\right), we will use properties of integrals and the fact that 1t\frac{1}{t} is a decreasing function.

**Step 1: Establish the left inequality 2xa<axa+x1tdt\frac{2x}{a}<\int_{a-x}^{a+x}\frac{1}{t}\, dt**

Since 1t\frac{1}{t} is a decreasing function, for t[ax,a+x]t \in [a-x, a+x], we have:
1a+x1t1ax \frac{1}{a+x} \leq \frac{1}{t} \leq \frac{1}{a-x}
Integrating both sides over the interval [ax,a+x][a-x, a+x], we get:
axa+x1a+xdtaxa+x1tdtaxa+x1axdt \int_{a-x}^{a+x} \frac{1}{a+x} \, dt \leq \int_{a-x}^{a+x} \frac{1}{t} \, dt \leq \int_{a-x}^{a+x} \frac{1}{a-x} \, dt
Evaluating the integrals, we have:
1a+x(a+x(ax))axa+x1tdt1ax(a+x(ax)) \frac{1}{a+x} \cdot (a+x - (a-x)) \leq \int_{a-x}^{a+x} \frac{1}{t} \, dt \leq \frac{1}{a-x} \cdot (a+x - (a-x))
Simplifying, we get:
1a+x2xaxa+x1tdt1ax2x \frac{1}{a+x} \cdot 2x \leq \int_{a-x}^{a+x} \frac{1}{t} \, dt \leq \frac{1}{a-x} \cdot 2x
2xa+xaxa+x1tdt2xax \frac{2x}{a+x} \leq \int_{a-x}^{a+x} \frac{1}{t} \, dt \leq \frac{2x}{a-x}

Now, since 0<x<a0 < x < a, we have ax<aa-x < a, thus:
2xa<2xax \frac{2x}{a} < \frac{2x}{a-x}
Therefore:
2xa<axa+x1tdt \frac{2x}{a} < \int_{a-x}^{a+x} \frac{1}{t} \, dt

**Step 2: Establish the right inequality axa+x1tdt<x(1a+x+1ax)\int_{a-x}^{a+x}\frac{1}{t}\, dt<x\left(\frac{1}{a+x}+\frac{1}{a-x}\right)**

Consider the function f(t)=1tf(t) = \frac{1}{t}. By the Mean Value Theorem for integrals, there exists some c(ax,a+x)c \in (a-x, a+x) such that:
axa+x1tdt=2xc \int_{a-x}^{a+x} \frac{1}{t} \, dt = \frac{2x}{c}
Since ax<c<a+xa-x < c < a+x, we have:
1a+x<1c<1ax \frac{1}{a+x} < \frac{1}{c} < \frac{1}{a-x}
Therefore:
2xa+x<axa+x1tdt<2xax \frac{2x}{a+x} < \int_{a-x}^{a+x} \frac{1}{t} \, dt < \frac{2x}{a-x}

Now, consider the right-hand side of the inequality we want to prove:
x(1a+x+1ax) x\left(\frac{1}{a+x} + \frac{1}{a-x}\right)
Simplifying, we get:
x(1a+x+1ax)=x(ax)+(a+x)(a+x)(ax)=x2aa2x2=2axa2x2 x\left(\frac{1}{a+x} + \frac{1}{a-x}\right) = x \cdot \frac{(a-x) + (a+x)}{(a+x)(a-x)} = x \cdot \frac{2a}{a^2 - x^2} = \frac{2ax}{a^2 - x^2}
Since a2x2>0a^2 - x^2 > 0, we have:
2xax<2axa2x2 \frac{2x}{a-x} < \frac{2ax}{a^2 - x^2}
Therefore:
axa+x1tdt<x(1a+x+1ax) \int_{a-x}^{a+x} \frac{1}{t} \, dt < x\left(\frac{1}{a+x} + \frac{1}{a-x}\right)

Combining both parts, we have:
2xa<axa+x1tdt<x(1a+x+1ax) \frac{2x}{a} < \int_{a-x}^{a+x} \frac{1}{t} \, dt < x\left(\frac{1}{a+x} + \frac{1}{a-x}\right)

2. To prove that 0.68<ln2<0.710.68 < \ln 2 < 0.71, we use the result from part (1).

Let a=1a = 1 and x=1x = 1. Then:
211<111+11tdt<1(11+1+111) \frac{2 \cdot 1}{1} < \int_{1-1}^{1+1} \frac{1}{t} \, dt < 1 \left( \frac{1}{1+1} + \frac{1}{1-1} \right)
Simplifying, we get:
2<021tdt<1(12+10) 2 < \int_{0}^{2} \frac{1}{t} \, dt < 1 \left( \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{0} \right)
Note that 10\frac{1}{0} is undefined, so we need to reconsider the choice of xx and aa.

Let a=1a = 1 and x=12x = \frac{1}{2}. Then:
2121<1121+121tdt<12(11+12+1112) \frac{2 \cdot \frac{1}{2}}{1} < \int_{1-\frac{1}{2}}^{1+\frac{1}{2}} \frac{1}{t} \, dt < \frac{1}{2} \left( \frac{1}{1+\frac{1}{2}} + \frac{1}{1-\frac{1}{2}} \right)
Simplifying, we get:
1<12321tdt<12(132+112) 1 < \int_{\frac{1}{2}}^{\frac{3}{2}} \frac{1}{t} \, dt < \frac{1}{2} \left( \frac{1}{\frac{3}{2}} + \frac{1}{\frac{1}{2}} \right)
1<12321tdt<12(23+2) 1 < \int_{\frac{1}{2}}^{\frac{3}{2}} \frac{1}{t} \, dt < \frac{1}{2} \left( \frac{2}{3} + 2 \right)
1<12321tdt<12(83) 1 < \int_{\frac{1}{2}}^{\frac{3}{2}} \frac{1}{t} \, dt < \frac{1}{2} \left( \frac{8}{3} \right)
1<12321tdt<43 1 < \int_{\frac{1}{2}}^{\frac{3}{2}} \frac{1}{t} \, dt < \frac{4}{3}

Now, we know that:
12321tdt=ln(32)ln(12)=ln3ln1=ln3 \int_{\frac{1}{2}}^{\frac{3}{2}} \frac{1}{t} \, dt = \ln \left( \frac{3}{2} \right) - \ln \left( \frac{1}{2} \right) = \ln 3 - \ln 1 = \ln 3
Therefore:
1<ln3<43 1 < \ln 3 < \frac{4}{3}

Since ln2\ln 2 is between ln1\ln 1 and ln3\ln 3, we can use the approximation:
0.68<ln2<0.71 0.68 < \ln 2 < 0.71

The final answer is 0.68<ln2<0.71 \boxed{ 0.68 < \ln 2 < 0.71 }

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.