Exponentiating, we find that

1 1
1
e n+1 ≤ 1 + n
≤ en .

e as the limit of (1 + 1/n)n Taking the (n + 1)st power of the left inequality
Math 122 Calculus III gives us
n+1
D Joyce, Fall 2012 e ≤ 1 + n1
th
This is a small note to show that the number e while taking the n power of the right inequality
is equal to a limit, specifically gives us
n
1 n

1 + n1 ≤ e.
lim 1 + n = e.
n→∞ Together, they give us these important bounds on
Sometimes this is taken to be the definition of e, but the value of e:
I’ll take e to be the base of the natural logarithms.
n
n+1
For a positive number x the natural logarithm of 1 + n1 ≤ e ≤ 1 + n1 .
x is defined as the integral
Z x Divide the right inequality by 1 + n1 to get
1
ln x = dt. e 1 n
1 t


≤ 1 +
1 + n1 n
Then e is the unique number such that ln e = 1,
that is, Z e which we combine with the left inequality to get
1
1= dt. e 1 n
1 t


1 ≤ 1+ n ≤ e.
x 1+ n
The natural exponential function e is the function
inverse to ln x, and all the usual properties of loga- e
rithms and exponential functions follow. But both → e and e → e, so by the pinching
n 1 + n1
Here’s a synthetic proof that e = lim 1 + n1 . theorem


n→∞
n
A synthetic proof is one that begins with state- 1 + n1 → e,
ments that are already proved and progresses one also. q.e.d.
step at a time until the goal is achieved. A defect
of synthetic proofs is that they don’t explain why
any step is made. Math 122 Home Page at
http://math.clarku.edu/~djoyce/ma122/
Proof. Let t be any number in an interval [1, 1 + n1 ].
Then
1 1
1 ≤ ≤ 1.
1+ n t
Therefore
Z 1+ 1 Z 1
1+ n Z 1
1+ n
n 1 1
1 dt ≤ dt ≤ 1 dt.
1 1+ n 1 t 1

1
The first integral equals n+1 , the second equals
ln(1 + n ), and the third equals n1 . Therefore,
1

1 1

1
n+1
≤ ln 1 + n
≤ n.