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Exercise 119Calculus › Single-variable calculus › Integration › Riemann integralL1Added 6 Nov 2026

A limit of a product via Riemann sums

#Riemann sums#logarithm#limit#product

Statement

Show that
lim⁡n→+∞1n(n+1)(n+2)⋯(2n)n=4e.\lim_{n\to+\infty}\frac{1}{n}\sqrt[n]{(n+1)(n+2)\cdots(2n)}=\frac{4}{e}.

Hint

Take the logarithm of the product, factor out nn in each factor, and recognize a Riemann sum for ∫12ln⁡t dt\int_1^2\ln t\,dt.

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Solution

Step 1: take logarithms. Let
un=1n(n+1)(n+2)⋯(2n)n>0.u_n=\frac{1}{n}\sqrt[n]{(n+1)(n+2)\cdots(2n)}>0.
Then
ln⁡(un)=−ln⁡n+1n∑k=1nln⁡(n+k).\ln(u_n)=-\ln n+\frac{1}{n}\sum_{k=1}^{n}\ln(n+k).
Factor nn in each factor inside the sum:
ln⁡(n+k)=ln⁡n+ln⁡ ⁣(1+kn).\ln(n+k)=\ln n+\ln\!\left(1+\frac{k}{n}\right).
Therefore
1n∑k=1nln⁡(n+k)=1n∑k=1n(ln⁡n+ln⁡ ⁣(1+kn))=ln⁡n+1n∑k=1nln⁡ ⁣(1+kn),\frac{1}{n}\sum_{k=1}^{n}\ln(n+k)=\frac{1}{n}\sum_{k=1}^{n}\left(\ln n+\ln\!\left(1+\frac{k}{n}\right)\right)=\ln n+\frac{1}{n}\sum_{k=1}^{n}\ln\!\left(1+\frac{k}{n}\right),
since the constant ln⁡n\ln n is summed nn times and then divided by nn. Hence
ln⁡(un)=1n∑k=1nln⁡ ⁣(1+kn).\ln(u_n)=\frac{1}{n}\sum_{k=1}^{n}\ln\!\left(1+\frac{k}{n}\right).

Step 2: Riemann sum. The expression
1n∑k=1nln⁡ ⁣(1+kn)\frac{1}{n}\sum_{k=1}^{n}\ln\!\left(1+\frac{k}{n}\right)
is a left Riemann sum for the continuous function t↦ln⁡(1+t)t\mapsto\ln(1+t) on [0,1][0,1]: the sample points are tk=k/nt_k=k/n with step 1/n1/n, for k=1,…,nk=1,\ldots,n, i.e. on the partition [0,1/n],[1/n,2/n],…,[(n−1)/n,1][0,1/n],[1/n,2/n],\ldots,[(n-1)/n,1]. As n→+∞n\to+\infty,
1n∑k=1nln⁡ ⁣(1+kn)⟶∫01ln⁡(1+t) dt.\frac{1}{n}\sum_{k=1}^{n}\ln\!\left(1+\frac{k}{n}\right)\longrightarrow\int_0^1\ln(1+t)\,dt.

Step 3: compute the integral. Substituting s=1+ts=1+t, ds=dtds=dt, with ss from 11 to 22:
∫01ln⁡(1+t) dt=∫12ln⁡s ds.\int_0^1\ln(1+t)\,dt=\int_1^2\ln s\,ds.
An antiderivative of ln⁡s\ln s is sln⁡s−ss\ln s-s; hence
∫12ln⁡s ds=[sln⁡s−s]12=(2ln⁡2−2)−(0−1)=2ln⁡2−1.\int_1^2\ln s\,ds=\bigl[s\ln s-s\bigr]_1^2=(2\ln2-2)-(0-1)=2\ln2-1.
So
ln⁡(un)⟶2ln⁡2−1=ln⁡4−ln⁡e=ln⁡ ⁣(4e).\ln(u_n)\longrightarrow 2\ln 2-1=\ln 4-\ln e=\ln\!\left(\frac{4}{e}\right).

Step 4: exponentiate. By continuity of exp⁡\exp,
un=exp⁡(ln⁡un)⟶exp⁡ ⁣(ln⁡4e)=4e.u_n=\exp(\ln u_n)\longrightarrow\exp\!\left(\ln\frac{4}{e}\right)=\frac{4}{e}.