With 100?

Calculus Level 2

For a positive integer n n , P ( n ) = 1 + 1 2 + 1 3 + + 1 2 n 1 P (n)=1 + \dfrac 12 + \dfrac 13 + \cdots + \dfrac 1{2^n-1} , then

P ( 100 ) > 100 P (100)> 100 P ( 100 ) = 150 P(100)=150 P ( 100 ) < 100 P (100)<100 P ( 200 ) < 100 P (200)<100

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1 solution

敬全 钟
Sep 18, 2017

The green graph represents the curve y = 1 x y=\frac{1}{x} and the brown boxes represent the sum k = 1 m 1 k \sum^{m}_{k=1}\frac{1}{k} for m 1 m\geq 1 . Then, we have k = 1 m 1 k > 1 m 1 x d x = ln ( m ) . \sum^{m}_{k=1}\frac{1}{k}>\int^m_1\frac{1}{x}\ dx=\ln(m). Thus, by substituting m = 2 n 1 , m=2^n-1, we have k = 1 2 n 1 1 k > ln ( 2 n 1 ) > n ln 2. \sum^{2^n-1}_{k=1}\frac{1}{k}>\ln(2^n-1)>n\ln2. Hence, when n = 100 , n=100, we see that the sum is only slightly larger than 69, which means that it must be smaller than 100. The choice P ( 100 ) < 100 P(100)<100 is correct.

Can you explain the first statement?

Satwik Murarka - 3 years, 8 months ago

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I've added a picture to clarify the solution

敬全 钟 - 3 years, 8 months ago

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The trick in this question is to recognize that the sum is actually the right riemann sum of the integral 1 m 1 x d x , \int^m_1\frac{1}{x}\ dx, after that the result should follow in a quite straightforward manner.

敬全 钟 - 3 years, 8 months ago

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