Problem 12362

(American Mathematical Monthly, Vol.129, December 2022)

Proposed by A. Garcia (France).

Evaluate
π/2
n
Z
lim √
n √
n dx .
n→∞ 0 2 cos(x) + 2 sin(x)

Solution proposed by Roberto Tauraso, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.

Solution. After letting 2 sin2 (x) = 1 − 2t

n, we have
π/2 n/2 n/2
n
Z Z Z
√
n √
n dx = fn (t) dt = 2 fn (t) dt
0 2 cos(x) + 2 sin(x) −n/2 0

where for any t ∈ (−n/2, n/2),

1 1
0 ≤ fn (t) := ·q .
2t n/2 2t n/2 2t 2



1+ + 1−


n n 1− n

As n → +∞, we have that

n/2 n/2  n/2 Z 1  n/2
1 dt n 2 ds πn 2
Z Z
0≤ fn (t) dt ≤
n/2 q = √ = →0
n/4 3 0 2t

2 2 3 0 1 − s2 4 3
2 1− n

and by the Dominated Convergence Theorem

n/4 +∞
1 π
Z Z
+∞
dt = arctan(et ) 0 =

fn (t) dt →
0 0 et + e−t 4

because for all t ≥ 0,

1
I[0,n/4] (t) · fn (t) →
et + e−t
and for n ≥ 4,
1 2
I[0,n/4] (t) · fn (t) ≤ ·√ .
t 2 3


1+ 2
Hence we may conclude that
π/2 n/4 n/2
n
Z Z Z
lim √
n √
n dx = 2 lim fn (t) dt + 2 lim fn (t) dt
n→∞ 0 2 cos(x) + 2 sin(x) n→∞ 0 n→∞ n/4
π π
=2· +2·0= .
4 2