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Nested Square Roots: Yue Kwok Choy

The document discusses techniques for solving problems involving nested square roots. It examines the expressions: 1) 1 + 1 + √1 + ⋯ which is shown to equal the Golden Ratio φ ≈ 1.6180339887. 2) 2 + 2 + √2 + ⋯ which is solved using trigonometry to equal 2cos(π/4) = 2. 3) 1 + 21 + 31 + 4√1 + ⋯ which Ramanujan conjectured equals 3, and the document provides an inductive proof of a more general formula for such expressions.

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Mher Yesayan
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159 views

Nested Square Roots: Yue Kwok Choy

The document discusses techniques for solving problems involving nested square roots. It examines the expressions: 1) 1 + 1 + √1 + ⋯ which is shown to equal the Golden Ratio φ ≈ 1.6180339887. 2) 2 + 2 + √2 + ⋯ which is solved using trigonometry to equal 2cos(π/4) = 2. 3) 1 + 21 + 31 + 4√1 + ⋯ which Ramanujan conjectured equals 3, and the document provides an inductive proof of a more general formula for such expressions.

Uploaded by

Mher Yesayan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Nested Square roots

Yue Kwok Choy

Nested square roots problems are very interesting. In this article, we investigate some
mathematical techniques applied to this topic that most senior secondary school students can
understand.

1.

1 + 1 + 1 +

(a) We put
Then

x = 1 + 1 + 1 +
x = 1 + 1 + 1 +

x 1 = 1 + 1 + = x

We get a quadratic equation :


Solving, we have

x=

x x 1 = 0

1.6180339887

Note that the negative root is rejected since x > 0.


You may also notice that 1 + 1 + 1 + = = , the famous Golden Ratio.

(b) It seems that our job is done, but in fact we still need to show the convergence
of

1 + 1 + 1 + .

We write

x = 1 = 1

x = 1 + 1 = 2 1.4142

x = 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 + 2 1.5538
x = 1 + 1 + 2 1.5981
.

We note that:

x = 1 + 1 + 1 + + 1
(1) The sequence

x

(n square roots)

may be increasing.

(2) x = 1 + x

We apply the Monotone Convergence Theorem, which states that every monotonic
increasing (or decreasing) sequence bounded above (below) has a limit.
(i)

To prove x is increasing, we use Mathematical Induction.


Let P(n) :
x < !
P(1) is true since
x = 1 < 2 = x
Assume P(k) is true for some kN , that is x" < !"
For P(k + 1), From (1)
1 + x" < 1 + !"
P(k + 1) is true.

(1)

x" = 1 + x" < 1 + x" = x"

By the Principle of Mathematical Induction, P(n) is true nN .


(ii) To prove x is bounded, we also use Mathematical Induction.
Let P(n) :

x < 2

(We use 2 here instead of

x = 1 < 2

P(1) is true since

Assume P(k) is true for some kN , that is


For P(k + 1), From (2)
1 + x" < 3

x" < 2

to simplify our writing.)

(2)

x" = 1 + x" < 3 < 2

P(k + 1) is true.
By the Principle of Mathematical Induction, P(n) is true nN .

Finally we use the Monotone Convergence Theorem, x has a limit, and


Quiz

&'(
% x

In (1) (3) below, you may omit the proof of convergence.

(1) Show that


(2) Show that

a + a + a + = *

(3) Show that

(a > 0)
-

a + ba + ba + = , , *

(a, b > 0)

2 2 + 2 2 + = 

(4) Find the mistake to prove that


In (1), take limit
But obviously,
1=0.

a 0,

1=0:

&'( 
*. a

+ a + a + = lim

0 + 0 + 0 + = 0

*.

*

=1

2.

2 + 2 + 2 +

We change our direction to employ trigonometry to tackle this.


5

cos =


cos =
6

cos < =

Hence,

3.

9
:

 7 8' ;

9
=

 7 8' ;

(for those who don


dont know radian, take radian = 180
18 D )


(Here we use half-angle formula.. Please fill in the calculations.)


calculations.

 

&'(
2 + 2 + 2 + = 2 %
cos

=2

1 + 21 + 31 + 41 +

The Indian mathematics genius Ramanujan once published


this problem in the Indian Mathematical journal. He waited for more
than 6 months, but no one came forward with a solution.
He then discovered that:
x+n+a =
?ax + 7n + a; + xa7x
7 + n; + 7n + a; + 7x + n;a7x + 2n; + 7n + a; + 7x + 2n;
(3)
This problem is then a special case where a = 0, n = 1, x = 2.
We dontt discuss the story here as it is a bit involved.. Readers interested may study:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denesting_radicals#Infinitely_nested_radicals

However, we can still carry out our informal investigation on


Firstly study that,

1 + 21 + 31 + 41 +

x = 1 = 1

x = 1 + 21 = 3 1.7321

x = 1 + 21 + 31 2.2361

x = 1 + 21 + +31 + 41 2.5598


We therefore guess that

x = ?1 + 21 + +31 + 41 + n1 3

We then apply the following identity: n = 1 + 7n 1;7n + 1;, for n 1


repeatedly:
3 = 1 + 2 4 = 1 + 23 5 = 1 + 21 + 31 + 4 6
= = I1 + 2?1 + 31 + 41 + + 7k 1;1 + k7k + 2;
??
= 1 + 21 + 31 + 41 +
The proof above may already look for most readers, but I still put ?? in the last step, as it
seems to be a not so mathematical deduction.
Studying the last expression above more thoroughly, we may guess a more general formula :
4 = 1 + 31 + 41 +
5 = 1 + 41 + 51 +

n = ?1 + 7n 1;1 + n1 + 7n + 1;1 +

If we assume 3 = 1 + 21 + 31 + 41 + is proved, we can begin our induction as

follows:

n = ?1 + 7n 1;1 + n1 + 7n + 1;1 +

Let P(n) :

Assume P(k) is true for some kN , that is

k = ?1 + 7k 1;1 + k1 + 7k + 1;1 +


For P(k + 1),

From (4),

(4)

k = 1 + 7k 1;1 + k1 + 7k + 1;1 +

k 1 = 7k 1;1 + k1 + 7k + 1;1 +


7k 1;7k + 1; = 7k 1;1 + k1 + 7k + 1;1 +
k + 1 = 1 + k1 + 7k + 1;1 +

P(k + 1) is true.
By the Principle of Mathematical Induction, P(n) is true nN .

So we have proved n = ?1 + 7n 1;1 + n1 + 7n + 1;1 +

which is a step closer

to the Ramanujan formula given by (3).


Quiz

Find

1 + L1 + L1 +

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