Can you prove this floor function challenge involving square roots?

In summary, the Floor Function Challenge V tests one's understanding and application of the floor function in mathematics, which rounds down a given real number to the nearest integer. Some common applications of this function include computer programming and mathematical calculations. The floor function differs from the ceiling function, which rounds up to the nearest integer. There are various special rules and properties of the floor function, such as its application to both positive and negative numbers and its relationship with other mathematical functions.
  • #1
anemone
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Prove that $\left\lfloor{\sqrt{n}+\sqrt{n+1}}\right\rfloor=\left\lfloor{\sqrt{4n+2}}\right\rfloor$ for any positive integer $n$.
 
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  • #2
anemone said:
Prove that $\left\lfloor{\sqrt{n}+\sqrt{n+1}}\right\rfloor=\left\lfloor{\sqrt{4n+2}}\right\rfloor$ for any positive integer $n$.

LHS = $\lfloor{\sqrt{n}+\sqrt{n+1}}\rfloor $
= $\lfloor\sqrt{(\sqrt{n}+\sqrt{n+1})^2}\rfloor $
= $\lfloor\sqrt{n+n+1+2\sqrt{n(n+1)}}\rfloor $
= $\lfloor\sqrt{2n+1+2\sqrt{n(n+1)}}\rfloor $
= $\lfloor\sqrt{2n+1+2\sqrt{(n+\dfrac{1}{2})^2 + \dfrac{3}{4}}}\rfloor $
= $\lfloor\sqrt{2n+1+\sqrt{(2n+1)^2 + 3}}\rfloor $

now realising that integral part of square root of x and square root of x + t where t is less than 1 are sameso we need to find the integral part of $\sqrt{(2n+1)^2 + 3}$

$(2n+1)^2 + 3\gt(2n+1)^2$
and $(2n+1)^2 + 3\lt(2n+2)^2$ as $(2n+2)^2-(2n+1)^2 = 4n + 3$so integral part of $\sqrt{(2n+1)^2 + 3}$ = (2n + 1)

so LHS = $\lfloor\sqrt{2n+1+2n+1}\rfloor $
= $\lfloor\sqrt{4n+2}\rfloor $
= RHS
 
Last edited:
  • #3
kaliprasad said:
LHS = $\lfloor{\sqrt{n}+\sqrt{n+1}}\rfloor $
= $\lfloor\sqrt{(\sqrt{n}+\sqrt{n+1})^2}\rfloor $
= $\lfloor\sqrt{n+n+1+2\sqrt{n(n+1)}}\rfloor $
= $\lfloor\sqrt{2n+1+2\sqrt{n(n+1)}}\rfloor $
= $\lfloor\sqrt{2n+1+2\sqrt{(n+\dfrac{1}{2})^2 + \dfrac{3}{4}}}\rfloor $
= $\lfloor\sqrt{2n+1+\sqrt{(2n+1)^2 + 3}}\rfloor $

now realising that integral part of square root of x and square root of x + t where t is less than 1 are sameso we need to find the integral part of $\sqrt{(2n+1)^2 + 3}$

$(2n+1)^2 + 3\gt(2n+1)^2$
and $(2n+1)^2 + 3\lt(2n+2)^2$ as $(2n+2)^2-(2n+1)^2 = 4n + 3$so integral part of $\sqrt{(2n+1)^2 + 3}$ = (2n + 1)

so LHS = $\lfloor\sqrt{2n+1+2n+1}\rfloor $
= $\lfloor\sqrt{4n+2}\rfloor $
= RHS

Well done and thanks for participating, kaliprasad!(Yes)

Here's another solution that I want to share with MHB:

It's easy to verify that

$\sqrt{4n+1}<\sqrt{n}+\sqrt{n+1}<\sqrt{4n+3}$ where $n\in N$

Neither $4n+2$ nor $4n+3$ are squares, so $\left\lfloor{\sqrt{4n+1}}\right\rfloor=\left\lfloor{\sqrt{4n+2}}\right\rfloor=\left\lfloor{\sqrt{4n+3}}\right\rfloor$ and the result follows.
 

Related to Can you prove this floor function challenge involving square roots?

1. What is the purpose of Floor Function Challenge V?

The purpose of Floor Function Challenge V is to test one's understanding and application of the floor function in mathematics. It involves solving various mathematical problems using the floor function and its properties.

2. How is the floor function defined?

The floor function, denoted as ⌊x⌋, is a mathematical function that rounds down a given real number to the nearest integer. It returns the largest integer that is less than or equal to the input number.

3. What are some common applications of the floor function?

The floor function is commonly used in computer programming to round down a number to an integer, which is useful for tasks such as truncating decimal places or generating random integers. It is also used in various mathematical proofs and calculations involving real numbers.

4. How is the floor function different from the ceiling function?

The ceiling function, denoted as ⌈x⌉, is similar to the floor function but rounds up a given real number to the nearest integer. This means that it returns the smallest integer that is greater than or equal to the input number. In other words, the ceiling of a number is the floor of that number plus one.

5. Are there any special rules or properties of the floor function?

Yes, there are several special rules and properties of the floor function, such as: it can be applied to both positive and negative numbers, it always returns an integer, and it is discontinuous at integer values. It also follows the distributive, associative, and commutative properties, and has a relationship with the modulus function.

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