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Calculus Level 5

Let x 0 = 1 x_0=1 . Define by recursion x n + 1 = sin ( x n ) x_{n+1}=\sin(x_n) . Calculate lim n n x n \lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} \sqrt{n}x_n .

Give your answer as the number rounded to 3 decimal places behind the decimal point.

Note: The trigonometric function is in radians.


The answer is 1.732.

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3 solutions

Ronak Agarwal
Sep 12, 2014

Let we have the limit as :

L = lim n n x n L=\lim _{ n\rightarrow \infty }{ \sqrt { n } { x }_{ n } }

Also L = lim n n + 1 x n + 1 L=\lim _{ n\rightarrow \infty }{ \sqrt { n+1 } { x }_{ n+1 } }

Now removing the limits I am taking some n arbitarily large

Since n is way too large we have :

n + 1 n ( 1 + 1 2 n ) \sqrt { n+1 } \approx \sqrt { n } (1+\frac { 1 }{ 2n })

Also x n + 1 = s i n ( x n ) {x}_{n+1}=sin({x}_{n}) also since x n {x}_{n} is way too small we have

s i n ( x n ) x n x n 3 6 sin({x}_{n})\approx{x}_{n}-\frac { { x }_{ n }^{ 3 } }{ 6 }

So using these we have

L = n x n ( 1 + 1 2 n ) ( 1 x n 2 6 ) L=\sqrt { n } { x }_{ n }(1+\frac { 1 }{ 2n } )(1-\frac { { x }_{ n }^{ 2 } }{ 6 } )

Also L = n x n L=\sqrt { n } { x }_{ n } using this we get :

1 = 1 + 1 2 n x n 2 6 1=1+\frac { 1 }{ 2n } -\frac { { x }_{ n }^{ 2 } }{ 6 }

(Note : I have neglected the term x n 2 12 n \frac { -{ x }_{ n }^{ 2 } }{ 12n } here because it is too small)

So we get :

n x n 2 = 3 = L 2 n{ x }_{ n }^{ 2 }=3={ L }^{ 2 }

L = 3 \boxed { \Rightarrow L=\sqrt { 3 } }

I maked a mistake keeping private my solution, now I publish it. We have to calculate: L = lim n n x n L=\lim_{n \to \infty}{\sqrt n}x_n with: x 0 = 1 , x n + 1 = s i n ( x n ) = s i n n x 0 x_0=1,\,x_{n+1}=sin(x_n)={sin}_{n}x_0 we have the asymptotic expansIon for the sine iterate:

s i n n x 0 = s i n ( x n ) = 3 n { 1 O ( l n ( n ) n ) } {sin}_{n}x_0=sin(x_n)={\sqrt\frac 3 n}\big\{1-O(\frac {ln(n)} n)\big\} see the link below: Asymptotic Expansions Of Iterates Of Some Classical Functions so: L = lim n n 3 n = 3 L=\lim_{n \to \infty}{\sqrt n}{\sqrt\frac 3 n}=\boxed{\sqrt 3}

Antonio Fanari - 6 years, 8 months ago

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Good approach, but for this approach you should ought to know the asymptomtic expansions of interates.

Ronak Agarwal - 6 years, 8 months ago

Unfortunately we can't apply this approach for written examinations , due to lack of rigor :)

Shivang Jindal - 6 years, 9 months ago

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But anyway, extremly nice approach :)

Shivang Jindal - 6 years, 9 months ago
Shivang Jindal
Sep 13, 2014

This problem is nice example of Stolz-Cesàro Theorem. For anyone, who don't know about this , here it is :

Let ( X n ) (X_n) , ( Y n ) (Y_n) be two sequences that satisfy the conditions:

  • ( Y n ) (Y_n) strictly increases to + +\infty ,
  • lim n X n X n 1 Y n Y n 1 = a \lim\limits_{n\to\infty} \frac{X_n-X_{n-1}}{Y_n-Y_{n-1}}=a

Then lim n X n Y n = a . \lim\limits_{n\to\infty} \frac{X_n}{Y_n}=a.

Now , note that lim x 0 x 2 sin 2 x x 2 sin 2 x = 1 3 \lim\limits_{x\to 0}\frac{x^2-\sin^2x}{x^2\sin^2x}=\frac{1}{3} Therefore lim n ( 1 x n + 1 2 1 x n 2 ) = 1 3 \lim\limits_{n\to\infty}\left(\frac1{x_{n+1}^2}-\frac1{x_n^2}\right)=\frac{1}{3}

Now, taking Y n = n Y_n=n and, X n = 1 x n 2 X_n = \frac{1}{x_n^2} and using Stolz-Cesàro Theorem, we have lim n 1 n x n 2 = 1 3 lim n n x n = 3 \lim\limits_{n\to\infty} \frac{1}{nx_n^2} =\frac{1}{3} \implies \lim\limits_{n\to\infty} \sqrt{n}x_n = \sqrt{3}

Priyesh Pandey
Sep 21, 2014

I've used c++ programming to find the result by putting arbitrarily large value in input which gave me a good approximation about 1.728.

here's my program..

"

include<iostream.h>

include<math.h>

int main() { float x=1; float a[10000]; float c=1; int n=9000; for(int i=1; i<=n;i++) { a[0]=1; a[i+1]=sin(a[i]); x=a[i+1]; } c=sqrt(n)*x; cout<<c; return 0; } try it out//.

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