Friday 18 September 2015

integration - Why is the inequality $sum_{n=1}^{infty} frac{1}{n^2} leq 1 + int_1^{infty} frac{1}{x^2}$ true?

$$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^2} \leq 1 + \int_1^{\infty} \frac{1}{x^2}dx$$



I'm having trouble figuring out why the inequality above is true. I understand the following inequality:



$$\int_1^{\infty} \frac{1}{x^2}dx \leq \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^2}$$



It makes sense because the rectangles formed from the right side of the inequality have pieces that go over-top of the function like so:




enter image description here



So let's say I rewrite $\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^2}$ as $1 + \sum_{n=2}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^2}$ since they are equivalent.



Why is that less than $1 + \int_1^{\infty} \frac{1}{x^2}dx$?



If I picture it in my head it sounds like its saying that the first term is greater than all the little pieces that form above the curve in the picture above.



My claims come specifically from page 60 of this webpage from Dartmouth

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