Exercise 732Calculus › Single-variable calculus › Integration › Riemann integralL1Added 2 Nov 2026
Comparing the harmonic sum with the logarithm
#integral comparison#harmonic series#monotonicity
Statement
Let . Prove that for all ,
and deduce that and .
Hint
Since is decreasing, on each interval it lies between and .
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Solution
Two comparisons. For and , . Integrating over (length ):
Lower bound. Using the right inequality and summing over :
Upper bound. Using the left inequality, for . Summing over :
Consequences. Since , . Dividing by ,
and both bounds tend to .
Remark. The difference is decreasing and bounded below, so it converges to a constant, the Euler–Mascheroni constant .