Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications 252, 994998 2000.

doi:10.1006rjmaa.2000.6981, available online at http:rrwww.idealibrary.com on

NOTE
A Best Approximation for Constant e and an
Improvement to Hardys Inequality
Xie Zitian and Zhong Yibing
Xijiang Uni ersity, ZhaoQing, Guangdong 526061, Peoples Republic of China
Submitted by L. Debnath
Received April 10, 2000

In this paper, the best approximating form of constant e and Hardys

inequality are discussed, and the improved conclusions of earlier work are
achieved.
Recently, Y. Bicheng w1, 2x attained the inequalities involving constant e,
e 1y

1
2xq1

- 1q

1
x

-e 1y

1
2 x q 1.

1.

This is equivalent to
e
2 x q 1.

-ey 1q

1
x

e
2xq1

2.

or
2xq2
2xq1

1q

1
x

-e-

2xq1
2x

1q

1
x

3.

As an application of inequalities 1., he obtained a strengthened Hardys

inequality.
The main results of this paper are presented as follows:
I. The above inequalities involving constant e can be strengthened as
x G 1.
e 1y

7
14 x q 12

- 1q

1
x

994
0022-247Xr00 $35.00
Copyright 2000 by Academic Press
All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.

-e 1y

6
12 x q 11

4.

995

NOTE

which has the equivalences

6e
12 x q 11

-ey 1q

7e
14 x q 12

5.

and
12 x q 11
12 x q 5

1q

1
x

14 x q 12

-e-

14 x q 5

1q

1
x

6.

Strengthening this we have

12 x q 11
12 x q 5

1q

1
x

-e-

12 x q 1
12 x q 7

1q

1
x

xq1

14 x q 12
14 x q 5

1q

1
x

7.
II. When x ,
i. Using f x, a, b . s x q 1 q a.r x q 1 q b ..1 q 1rx . x to approximate e, then a s y 121 , b s 127 are the best values.
ii. Using f 1 x, a1 , b1 . s x q 1 q a1 .r x q 1 q b1 ..1 q 1rx . xq1
5
to approximate e, then the best values are a1 s y 11
12 , b 1 s y 12 . In other
words, the first two inequalities of inequality 7. are the best approximation for constant e which cant be strengthened any more unless the form
of f x, a, b . is changed and new parameters are added refer to Remarks..
III. Simultaneously, Hardys inequality is correspondingly improved: if
0 - nq 1 F n , n s nms1 m , a n G 0 n g N ., 0 - ns1 n a n - , then

nq 1 a1 a2
1

a n n .

1r n

-e

ns1

6 n

1y

12 n q 11 n

ns1

n an .

8.

Now we will prove the above results.

1. The Proof of Conclusion I.. Step 1. Still denote f x, a, b . s x q
1 q a.r x q 1 q b ..1 q 1rx . x. Setting
g x, a, b . s ln f x, a, b . y 1 s ln x q 1 q a . q x ln 1 q

1
x

y ln x q 1 q b . y 1,
its expansion at u s x q 1 can be expressed as
g x, a, b . s

ks1

Ak
uk

9.

996

NOTE

where A k s y1. ky 1rk . a k q y1. krk . a k y 1rk k q 1.. Then, when

a s y 121 and b s y 127 , we have A1 s A 2 s 0; and if k G 3, in view of
12 k ) k q 1.7 k y 1., we find A k - 0. Therefore
1

g x, y

,y

12

12

- 0,

namely,
f x, y

1
12

,y

7
12

12 x q 11

12 x q 5

1q

- e.

Step 2. Analogous to Step 1, we still denote

x q 1 q a1

f 1 x, a1 , b1 . s

x q 1 q b1

1q

xq1

g 1 x, a1 , b1 . s ln f x, a1 , b1 . y 1 s x q 1 . ln 1 q

1
x

qln x q 1 q a1 . y ln x q 1 q b1 . y 1
s

ks1

Bk
uk

where Bk s y1. ky 1rk . a1k q y1. krk . b1k q 1r k q 1.. Then when a1
5
s y 11
12 , b 1 s y 12 , B1 s B2 s 0 is valid, and if k G 3, Bk - 0 follows.
11 5

Hence f 1 x, y 12 , 12 . - 0, namely,
e - f 1 x, y

11
12

,y

5
12

12 x q 1
12 x q 7

1q

1
x

xq1

Last, if x G 1, we obtain
f 1 x, y

11
12

,y

5
12

12 x q 1
12 x q 7

s f x, y

1
7

1q

,y

1
x

9
14

xq1

14 x q 12
14 x q 5

1q

1
x

Thus inequality 7. is true. This completes the proof of Conclusion I..

7
. is increasing. However,
It also easy to find that f x, y 11
12 , y 12
11
5
f 1 x, y 12 , y 12 . is decreasing, each of them being approximate to e.
2. The Proof of Conclusion II.. In fact, for x , g x, a, b . is infinite
small, hence f x, a, b . is still infinite small. If a and b are wanted to be
the best values, as a matter of course, the order of g x, a, b . is better as it

997

NOTE

gets higher. According to inequality 9., when a s y 121 , b s y 127 , A1 s

A 2 s 0 is valid, and g x, a, b . is infinite small, and also the highest order
infinite small. Thus the degree of f x, a, b . approximating e is best.
5

. is the highest order

Similarly, for a1 s y 11
12 , b 1 s y 12 , g 1 x, a1 , b 1
5
.
infinite small 2 order infinite small., thereby f 1 x, y 11
12 , y 12 is also the
best approximation of e.
Remark. In accordance with the above analysis, for a y b s 12 but
a / y 121 , in Eq. 9., we have A1 s 0, A 2 / 0, when x , g x, a, b . is 1
order infinite small. Then the closer a approaches y 121 , the better
f x, a, b . approximates e. In inequalities 1. of w1, 2x, the values of a and b
are successively a s 0, b s y 12 , and a s y 12 , b s y1.
On the other hand, when a0 - y 121 and a0 y b 0 s 21 , its certain that
existing x 0 , and for x G x 0 ,12 x q 1.r12 x q 7..1 q 1rx . xq1 - x q 1
q a0 .r x q 1 q b 0 ..1 q 1rx . x is true. For example, if a0 s y 111 , b 0 s
y 13
22 , then x 0 s 9.
3. The Proof of Conclusion III.. Setting 0 - nq 1 F n , n s
nms 1 m , a n G 0 n g N ., 0 - ns1 n a n - , then by virtue of the proof
of article w2x and inequality 4., we have

nq 1 a11 a2 2

1r n
a n n

ns1

ms1

-e

1q

m r m

1y

ms1

se

1y

ms1

mr m

m am

m am

12 m r m q 11
6 m
12 m q 11 m

m am .

4. The Approximate Calculation of e. In view of Eq. 2. or Eq. 5., we

take 1 q 1x . x as the approximate value of e. It is necessary that x must
become very big if the degree of accuracy is to be improved. However, its
more convenient to evaluate the approximate value of e taking advantage
of Eq. 7.. For example,
x
8
9
10

2xq2
2xq1

1q

2.7167
2.7170
2.7172

1
x

12 x q 11
12 x q 5

1q

2.718207
2.718228
2.718242

1
x

12 x q 1
12 x q 7

1q

2.718361
2.718338
2.718323

1
x

xq1

2xq1
2x

1q

1
x

2.7261
2.7245
2.7234

Remark. 1. Changing the form of f x, a, b . and adding new parameters, we an achieve a more accurate approximate form. For example, the

998

NOTE

author uses the form

f x, a, b . s 1 q

1
x

xqa

xqb

/
1

to make ln f y 1 to be 3 order infinite small and obtains that a s y 3

q

'6
'6

, bsy3 y

'6

, s

'6
4

and a s y 3 y

'6

, bsy3 q

'6

, s

y 4 . Because a, b, are all irrational numbers, they have little value of

application.
2. Its very analogous to prove that for x , f x, . s
1 q 1x . xq approximates e with the best value s 12 . Then ln f x, . y 1
is 1 order infinite small, and f x, 12 . decreasingly approximates e.
REFERENCES
1. Y. Bicheng and L. Debuath, Some inequalities involving the constant e and an application
to analysis Carlemans inequality, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 223 1998., 347359.
2. Y. Bicheng, On Hardys inequality, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 234 1999., 717722.