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Algebra Difficulty 4.5 AIME Prove it

Given f(n)=1+122+132++1n2f(n)=1+ \frac{1}{2^{2}}+ \frac{1}{3^{2}}+…+ \frac{1}{n^{2}} and g(n)=12(31n2)g(n)= \frac{1}{2}(3- \frac{1}{n^{2}}), where nNn \in \mathbb{N}^*.
(1) Compare the size relationship between f(n)f(n) and g(n)g(n) when n=1n=1, 22, 33;
(2) Conjecture the size relationship between f(n)f(n) and g(n)g(n), and prove it using mathematical induction.

Solution

(1) When n=1n=1, f(1)=1=g(1)f(1)=1=g(1);
When n=2n=2, f(2)=98f(2)= \frac{9}{8}, g(2)=118g(2)= \frac{11}{8}, f(2)<g(2)\therefore f(2) < g(2);
When n=3n=3, f(3)=251216f(3)= \frac{251}{216}, g(3)=312216g(3)= \frac{312}{216}, f(3)<g(3)\therefore f(3) < g(3).
(2) Based on (1), we conjecture that f(n)g(n)f(n) \leqslant g(n). We will prove this using mathematical induction:
\quad \quad \bullet When n=1n=1, 22, 33, the inequality holds.
\quad \quad \bullet Assume that the inequality holds when n=k(kN)(k3)n=k (k \in \mathbb{N}^*) (k \geqslant 3), i.e., 1+122+132++1k2<12(31k2)1+ \frac{1}{2^{2}}+ \frac{1}{3^{2}}+…+ \frac{1}{k^{2}} < \frac{1}{2}(3- \frac{1}{k^{2}}).
Then, when n=k+1n=k+1, we have f(k+1)=f(k)+1(k+1)2<12(31k2)+1(k+1)2f(k+1)=f(k)+ \frac{1}{(k+1)^{2}} < \frac{1}{2}(3- \frac{1}{k^{2}})+ \frac{1}{(k+1)^{2}}.
\quad \quad \quad \quad Since 12(k+1)212k2+1(k+1)2=3k12(k+1)2k2<0\frac{1}{2(k+1)^{2}}- \frac{1}{2k^{2}}+ \frac{1}{(k+1)^{2}}= \frac{-3k-1}{2(k+1)^{2}k^{2}} < 0, 12k2+1(k+1)2<12(k+1)2\therefore - \frac{1}{2k^{2}}+ \frac{1}{(k+1)^{2}} < - \frac{1}{2(k+1)^{2}},
\quad \quad \quad \quad f(k+1)<3212(k+1)2=g(k+1)\therefore f(k+1) < \frac{3}{2}- \frac{1}{2(k+1)^{2}} = \boxed{g(k+1)}, i.e., the inequality holds when n=k+1n=k+1.
Thus, by mathematical induction, we conclude that f(n)g(n)f(n) \leqslant g(n) for all nNn \in \mathbb{N}^*.

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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.