Elementary central binomial coefficient estimates 

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*How to prove that $\quad\displaystyle\frac{4^{n}}{\sqrt{4n}}<\binom{2n}{n}<\frac{4^{n}}{\sqrt{3n+1}}\quad$ for all $n$ > 1 ?





*Does anyone know any better elementary estimates?


Attempt.  We have
$$\frac1{2^n}\binom{2n}{n}=\prod_{k=0}^{n-1}\frac{2n-k}{2(n-k)}=\prod_{k=0}^{n-1}\left(1+\frac{k}{2(n-k)}\right).$$
Then we have
$$\left(1+\frac{k}{2(n-k)}\right)>\sqrt{1+\frac{k}{n-k}}=\frac{\sqrt{n}}{\sqrt{n-k}}.$$
So maybe, for the lower bound, we have
$$\frac{n^{\frac{n}{2}}}{\sqrt{n!}}=\prod_{k=0}^{n-1}\frac{\sqrt{n}}{\sqrt{n-k}}>\frac{2^n}{\sqrt{4n}}.$$
By Stirling, $n!\approx \sqrt{2\pi n}\left(\frac{n}{e}\right)^n$, so the lhs becomes
$$\frac{e^{\frac{n}{2}}}{(2\pi n)^{\frac14}},$$
but this isn't $>\frac{2^n}{\sqrt{4n}}$.
 A: A way to get explicit bounds via Stirling's approximation is to use the following more precise formulation: $$n! = \sqrt{2\pi n} \left( \frac{n}{e} \right)^n e^{\alpha_n} $$ where $ \frac{1}{12n+1} < \alpha_n < \frac{1}{12n} $. 
With this one arrives at $$ \binom{2n}{n} = \frac{4^n}{\sqrt{\pi n}} e^{\lambda_n} $$ where $ \frac{1}{24n+1} - \frac{1}{6n} < \lambda_n < \frac{1}{24n} - \frac{2}{12n+1} $.
A: Here are some crude bounds:
$${1\over 2\sqrt{n}}\leq {2n\choose n}{1\over 2^{2n}}\leq{3\over4\sqrt{n+1}},\quad n\geq1.$$

We begin with the product representations
$${2n\choose n}{1\over 2^{2n}}={1\over 2n}\prod_{j=1}^{n-1}\left(1+{1\over 2j}\right)=\prod_{j=1}^n\left(1-{1\over2j}\right),\quad n\geq1.$$
From
$$ \prod_{j=1}^{n-1}\left(1+{1\over 2j}\right)^{\!\!2}=\prod_{j=1}^{n-1}\left(1+{1\over j}+{1\over 4j^2}\right)\geq \prod_{j=1}^{n-1}\left(1+{1\over j}\right)=n,$$
we see that
$$\left({2n\choose n}{1\over 2^{2n}} \right)^{2} = {1\over (2n)^2}\, \prod_{j=1}^{n-1}\left(1+{1\over 2j}\right)^{\!\!2}
\geq {1\over 4n^2}\, n ={1\over 4n},\quad n\geq1.$$
 so by taking square roots, ${2n\choose n}{1\over 2^{2n}}\geq \displaystyle{1\over 2\sqrt{n}}.$
On the other hand, $$ \prod_{j=1}^{n}\left(1+{1\over 2j}\right)  \left(1-{1\over 2j}\right)
= \prod_{j=1}^{n}\left(1-{1\over 4j^2}\right)\leq {3\over 4},$$
so that (using the lower bound above), we have
$$ {2n\choose n}{1\over 2^{2n}}=\prod_{j=1}^n\left(1-{1\over2j}\right)\leq{3\over4\sqrt{n+1}}.$$
Alternatively, multiplying the different representations we get
 $$n\left[{2n\choose n}{1\over 2^{2n}}\right]^2={1\over 2}\prod_{j=1}^{n-1}\left(1-{1\over4j^2}\right) \,\left(1-{1\over 2n}\right).$$
It's not hard to show that the right hand side increases from $1/4$ to $1/\pi$ for $n\geq 1$.

Edit: You can get better bounds if you know Wallis's formula:
$$2n\left[{2n\choose n}{1\over 4^n}\right]^2={1\over 2}{3\over 2}{3\over 4}{5\over 4}\cdots
{2n-1\over 2n-2}{2n-1\over 2n}={1\over 2}\prod_{j=2}^n\left(1+{1\over 4j(j-1)}\right)$$
$$(2n+1)\left[{2n\choose n}{1\over 4^n}\right]^2={1\over 2}{3\over 2}{3\over 4}{5\over 4}\cdots
{2n-1\over 2n-2}{2n-1\over 2n}{2n+1\over 2n}=\prod_{j=1}^n\left(1-{1\over 4j^2}\right)$$
By Wallis's formula, both middle expressions converge to ${2\over \pi}$.
The right hand side of the first equation is increasing, while the right hand
side of the second equation is decreasing. We conclude that 
$${1\over\sqrt{\pi(n+1/2)}}\leq {2n\choose n}{1\over 4^n}\leq {1\over\sqrt{\pi n}}.$$
A: For $n\ge0$, we have (by cross-multiplication)
$$
\begin{align}
\left(\frac{n+\frac12}{n+1}\right)^2
&=\frac{n^2+n+\frac14}{n^2+2n+1}\\
&\le\frac{n+\frac13}{n+\frac43}\tag{1}
\end{align}
$$
Therefore,
$$
\begin{align}
\frac{\binom{2n+2}{n+1}}{\binom{2n}{n}}
&=4\frac{n+\frac12}{n+1}\\
&\le4\sqrt{\frac{n+\frac13}{n+\frac43}}\tag{2}
\end{align}
$$
Inequality $(2)$ implies that
$$
\boxed{\bbox[5pt]{\displaystyle\binom{2n}{n}\frac{\sqrt{n+\frac13}}{4^n}\text{ is decreasing}}}\tag{3}
$$
For $n\ge0$, we have (by cross-multiplication)
$$
\begin{align}
\left(\frac{n+\frac12}{n+1}\right)^2
&=\frac{n^2+n+\frac14}{n^2+2n+1}\\
&\ge\frac{n+\frac14}{n+\frac54}\tag{4}
\end{align}
$$
Therefore,
$$
\begin{align}
\frac{\binom{2n+2}{n+1}}{\binom{2n}{n}}
&=4\frac{n+\frac12}{n+1}\\
&\ge4\sqrt{\frac{n+\frac14}{n+\frac54}}\tag{5}
\end{align}
$$
Inequality $(5)$ implies that
$$
\boxed{\bbox[5pt]{\displaystyle\binom{2n}{n}\frac{\sqrt{n+\frac14}}{4^n}\text{ is increasing}}}\tag{6}
$$
Note that the formula in $(3)$, which is decreasing, is bigger than the formula in $(6)$, which is increasing. Their ratio tends to $1$; therefore, they tend to a common limit, $L$.

Theorem $1$ from this answer says
$$
\lim_{n\to\infty}\frac{\sqrt{\pi n}}{4^n}\binom{2n}{n}=1\tag{7}
$$
which means that
$$
\begin{align}
L
&=\lim_{n\to\infty}\frac{\sqrt{n}}{4^n}\binom{2n}{n}\\
&=\frac1{\sqrt\pi}\tag8
\end{align}
$$
Combining $(3)$, $(6)$, and $(8)$, we get
$$
\boxed{\bbox[5pt]{\displaystyle\frac{4^n}{\sqrt{\pi\!\left(n+\frac13\right)}}\le\binom{2n}{n}\le\frac{4^n}{\sqrt{\pi\!\left(n+\frac14\right)}}}}\tag9
$$

Assymptotic Observation
If we know that $n\ge n_0$, we can replace $\frac13$ in $(1)-(3)$ and $(9)$ by $\frac14+\frac1{16n_0+12}$. Thus, asymptotically,
$$
\boxed{\bbox[5pt]{\displaystyle\binom{2n}{n}\sim\frac{4^n}{\sqrt{\pi\!\left(n+\frac14\right)}}}}\tag{10}
$$
A: You can get an even more precise answer than those already provided by using more terms in the Stirling series.  Doing so yields, to a relative error of $O(n^{-5})$,
$$\binom{2n}{n} = \frac{4^n}{\sqrt{\pi n}} \left(1 - \frac{1}{8n} + \frac{1}{128n^2} + \frac{5}{1024n^3} - \frac{21}{32768 n^4} + O(n^{-5})\right).$$
To the same relative error of $O(n^{-5})$, the Stirling series is
$$n!=\sqrt{2\pi n}\left({n\over e}\right)^n
  \left(
   1
   +{1\over12n}
   +{1\over288n^2}
   -{139\over51840n^3}
   -{571\over2488320n^4}
   + O(n^{-5})
  \right).$$
Then we have 
$$\binom{2n}{n} = \frac{(2n)!}{n! n!} = \frac{4^n}{\sqrt{\pi n}} \frac{1 + \frac{1}{12(2n)} + \frac{1}{288(2n)^2} - \frac{139}{51840(2n)^3} - \frac{571}{2488320(2n)^4} + O(n^{-5})}{\left(1 + \frac{1}{12n} + \frac{1}{288n^2} - \frac{139}{51840n^3} - \frac{571}{2488320n^4} + O(n^{-5})\right)^2}.$$
Crunching through the long division with the polynomial in $\frac{1}{n}$ (which Mathematica can do immediately with the command Series[expression, {n, ∞, 4}]) yields the expression for $\binom{2n}{n}$ at the top of the post.
See also Problem 9.60 in Concrete Mathematics (2nd edition).  
A: $$\binom {2n} n = \frac {2^{n-1}} n \sum _{k=0} ^{2n} \left( 1 + \cos \frac {k \pi} n \right) ^n$$
A: $\binom{2p}{p}$ central binomial coefficient
$$
\binom{2p}{p}=\frac{\displaystyle2^{2p}}{\displaystyle1+\sum_{n=1}^p\frac{2^n}S}
$$
with $S=\sum\limits_{k=1}^{2n}\left(1+\cos\left(\frac{k\pi}n\right)\right)^n$
this new formula as the first uses a trigonometric form (see mar20 at19:11)
it's more complex but gives the same result
with my pocket computer casio pb 700 I have found $\binom{2p}{p}$ exact untill
$p=18$ it's $9075135300$ after the result is given $A\cdot10^x$
example $\binom{40}{20}=1.378465288\times10^{11}$
A: Here is a  better estimate of the quantity. I am not going to prove it. Since I know about it, hence I am sharing and will put the reference.
$$\frac{1}{2\sqrt{n}} \le {2n \choose n}2^{-2n} \le \frac{1}{\sqrt{2n}}$$
Refer to Page 590 This is the text book "Boolean functions Complexity" by Stasys Jukna.
