Let f(x)=xx+1f(x)=\dfrac{x}{\sqrt{x+1}}.

  1. (i)

    Show that ∫01f(x) dx=23(2−2)\displaystyle \int_{0}^{1} f(x)\,dx=\dfrac{2}{3}\bigl(2-\sqrt{2}\bigr).

  2. (ii)

    The diagram below shows a sketch of the curve with equation y=f(x)y=f(x). Rectangles of width 1n\dfrac{1}{n} are drawn as shown.

    By considering the total area of these nn rectangles, deduce that

    1nn{1n+1+2n+2+3n+3+⋯+n2n}>23(2−2).\displaystyle \dfrac{1}{n\sqrt{n}}\Bigl\{\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{n+1}}+\dfrac{2}{\sqrt{n+2}}+\dfrac{3}{\sqrt{n+3}}+\cdots+\dfrac{n}{\sqrt{2n}}\Bigr\}>\dfrac{2}{3}\bigl(2-\sqrt{2}\bigr).

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Worked solution

3(i)

1. Apply a substitution to transform the integral into standard integrable forms and integrate.

Let u=x+1u = x+1. Then dudx=1  ⟹  dx=du\frac{du}{dx} = 1 \implies dx = du, and x=u−1x = u-1.
When x=0x = 0, u=1u = 1.
When x=1x = 1, u=2u = 2.
∫01xx+1 dx=∫12u−1u du\int_{0}^{1} \frac{x}{\sqrt{x+1}}\,dx = \int_{1}^{2} \frac{u-1}{\sqrt{u}}\,du
=∫12(u12−u−12) du= \int_{1}^{2} \left( u^{\frac{1}{2}} - u^{-\frac{1}{2}} \right)\,du
=[23u32−2u12]12= \left[ \frac{2}{3}u^{\frac{3}{2}} - 2u^{\frac{1}{2}} \right]_{1}^{2}

2. Evaluate the definite integral using the upper and lower limits, and simplify to the given exact form.

=(23(2)32−2(2)12)−(23(1)32−2(1)12)= \left( \frac{2}{3}(2)^{\frac{3}{2}} - 2(2)^{\frac{1}{2}} \right) - \left( \frac{2}{3}(1)^{\frac{3}{2}} - 2(1)^{\frac{1}{2}} \right)
=(23(22)−22)−(23−2)= \left( \frac{2}{3}(2\sqrt{2}) - 2\sqrt{2} \right) - \left( \frac{2}{3} - 2 \right)
=(432−632)−(−43)= \left( \frac{4}{3}\sqrt{2} - \frac{6}{3}\sqrt{2} \right) - \left( -\frac{4}{3} \right)
=−232+43= -\frac{2}{3}\sqrt{2} + \frac{4}{3}
=23(2−2)(shown)= \frac{2}{3}\left(2 - \sqrt{2}\right) \quad \text{(shown)}

Answer

\frac{2}{3}\left(2-\sqrt{2}\right)

3(ii)

1. Express the area of the $k$-th rectangle.

The kk-th rectangle has width 1n\frac{1}{n} and its right edge is at x=knx = \frac{k}{n}. The height of this rectangle is the function value at this right endpoint:
f(kn)=knkn+1=knk+nn=kn⋅nk+n=knn+kf\left(\frac{k}{n}\right) = \frac{\frac{k}{n}}{\sqrt{\frac{k}{n}+1}} = \frac{\frac{k}{n}}{\sqrt{\frac{k+n}{n}}} = \frac{k}{n} \cdot \frac{\sqrt{n}}{\sqrt{k+n}} = \frac{k}{\sqrt{n}\sqrt{n+k}}

The area of the kk-th rectangle is:
Areak=width×height=1n×knn+k=knnn+k\text{Area}_k = \text{width} \times \text{height} = \frac{1}{n} \times \frac{k}{\sqrt{n}\sqrt{n+k}} = \frac{k}{n\sqrt{n}\sqrt{n+k}}

2. Sum the areas of all $n$ rectangles to find the total area.

The total area of the nn rectangles is the sum of their individual areas from k=1k=1 to nn:
Total Area=∑k=1nknnn+k=1nn{1n+1+2n+2+⋯+n2n}\text{Total Area} = \sum_{k=1}^{n} \frac{k}{n\sqrt{n}\sqrt{n+k}} = \frac{1}{n\sqrt{n}} \left\{ \frac{1}{\sqrt{n+1}} + \frac{2}{\sqrt{n+2}} + \cdots + \frac{n}{\sqrt{2n}} \right\}

3. Deduce the inequality by comparing the total area to the definite integral.

Since f(x)f(x) is an increasing function for x≥0x \ge 0, the right-endpoint rectangles strictly overestimate the exact area under the curve. Thus, the total area of the rectangles is strictly greater than the definite integral of f(x)f(x) from x=0x=0 to x=1x=1:
Total Area>∫01f(x) dx\text{Total Area} > \int_{0}^{1} f(x)\,dx

Substituting the total area expression and using the exact value of the integral from part (i):
1nn{1n+1+2n+2+⋯+n2n}>23(2−2)\frac{1}{n\sqrt{n}} \left\{ \frac{1}{\sqrt{n+1}} + \frac{2}{\sqrt{n+2}} + \cdots + \frac{n}{\sqrt{2n}} \right\} > \frac{2}{3}\bigl(2-\sqrt{2}\bigr)

Answer

As shown in the working.

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