# How can I calculate $\lim_{ n \rightarrow \infty} (n^{1.000001}/\log n) / (1.000001)^n$

I'm using the limit definition to show that $$f(n) \in\mathcal{O}(g(n))$$ or the reverse for the following functions;

$$f(n) = n^{1.000001}/\log n$$

$$g(n) = (1.000001)^n$$

I calculated the limit as $$\approx 0$$ in Wolfram Alpha.

$$\lim_{ n \rightarrow \infty} f(n)/g(n) \approx 0,$$ and

$$\lim_{ n \rightarrow \infty} g(n)/f(n) \approx 0.$$

This is not right. How can I calculate the limits?

• Numerically evaluating the ratio for small $n$ will fool you as $g(n)$ is much smaller than $f(n)$ untill $n \sim 10^7$. – Winther Oct 2 '18 at 11:00

Consider $1>a >0$, $f(x) = x^{1+a} /\log(x)$, $g(x)= (1+a)^x$. Then for every $x > 0$, $$(1+a)^x = \mathrm e^{x \log(1+a)} = \sum_0^{+\infty} \frac {x^n \log(1+a)^n}{n!} > \frac {x^3 \log(1+a)^3}{6},$$ then \begin{align*} 0 \leqslant \frac fg (x) &= \frac {x^{1+a}}{(1+a)^x \log(x)} \\&< \frac {6x^2}{x^3 \log(1+a)^3\log(x)} \\&<\frac 6{x \log(1+a)^3} \xrightarrow{x \to +\infty} 0, \end{align*} thus $f (x) \in O(g(x))$ as $x \to +\infty$, hence $f(n) \in O(g(n))$ as $\Bbb N^* \ni n \to \infty$.

For your question, it is simply the case $a = 10^{-6}$.

Use the standard limit $$n^a/b^n\to 0$$ as $$n\to\infty$$ for $$b>1$$. For your case $$a=b=1.000001$$ and thus the desired result is $$0$$.

• short and simple. – kelalaka Oct 2 '18 at 11:58

I don't have time to write a full answer, sry :c this should help: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Hôpital%27s_rule

Try to rewrite your fraction and then use l'Hôpital! :)

• This should be a comment, not an answer. – rtybase Oct 2 '18 at 11:17
• ah yes, noted :) – C. Brendel Oct 2 '18 at 11:24
• L'Hôpital rule would make the fraction much more complicated as I tried the calculation. This is not efficient at all. – xbh Oct 2 '18 at 11:37
• if you use l'Hôpital on n¹⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰¹/1.000001ⁿ 2-times you are done! You just have to take the limit multiply that with te limit of 1/log(n). Did you differentiate log(n) in the denominator aswell? – C. Brendel Oct 2 '18 at 12:00