Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Lagrange's mean value theorem says this. If is continuous on and differentiable on , then there is a point with where
The figure shows what it means for on : somewhere between the ends, the tangent to the curve is parallel to the chord. This problem turns that picture into two inequalities, and then uses them on a famous sequence. The sequence in (d) compares the sum of the reciprocals of the first whole numbers with the natural logarithm of . Both grow without limit as grows, yet their difference behaves very well, and the inequalities of (a) are exactly what is needed to see why.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
(a) Proof. is continuous on and differentiable on , with derivative . By the theorem there is a with and , that is . Since , we have . Multiplying by : . The inequalities are strict because lies strictly inside the interval.
(b) With : and . Rounding the lower bound down and the upper bound up, to three decimals: . (Indeed .) Rounding to the nearest, , would also still sit below here, but rounding down is the safe habit for a lower bound.
(c) , so , which does lie in .
(d) Proof that the sequence decreases. . The left inequality of (a) with gives . So for every .
(d) Proof that every term is positive. The right inequality of (a) with gives . Adding for , the right side telescopes: . So . A decreasing sequence that stays positive must settle down to a limit; this limit, about , is known as Euler's constant.
(e) and , so , that is 0.67.
Check. The two inequalities of (a) hold at all points of a grid from to , and the first 59 terms of , computed exactly and then rounded, fall steadily and stay positive.
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