21

I have to compare the following two numbers:

$$2013! \text{ and } 1007^{2013}$$

where $n! = 1 \times 2 \times \cdots \times (n-1) \times n$.

I tried in different ways to group the $1 \times 2 \times \cdots \times 2012 \times 2013$ to obtain some kind of association with the $1007$ from $1007^{2013}$ but no luck.

Is there any standard approach for this kind of problem?

Thomas Andrews
  • 177,126
Ionut
  • 313
  • 1
    Do you know the AM/GM intequality - that is, the geometric mean of a set of numbers is always less than or equal to the arithmetic mean? – Thomas Andrews Mar 08 '13 at 15:43

8 Answers8

49

$1\times 2\times\ldots\times 2012\times 2013$

$=(1007-1006)\times(1007-1005)\times\ldots\times (1007+1005)\times(1007+1006)$

$=(1007^2-1006^2)\times (1007^2-1005^2)\times\ldots\times (1007^2-1^2)\times 1007$

$<(1007^2)^{1006}\times 1007$

$=1007^{2013}$

  • 3
    Thank you! All answers were helpful but I chose this one because it is really clear and in this case I needed a solution which does not require advanced mathematical knowledge. Thanks again! – Ionut Mar 08 '13 at 16:02
  • 10
    In general, the AM-GM says that $n!\le\left(\frac{n+1}{2}\right)^n$ – robjohn Mar 08 '13 at 16:17
  • 1
    @robjohn that's good to know. Thank you! – Ionut Mar 08 '13 at 17:49
26

You can just take the inequality between the arithmetic and geometric means:

$$\sqrt[n]{a_1a_2\dots a_n}\leq \frac{a_1+a_2\dots+a_n}{n}$$

with $a_i=i$ and $n=2013$. Then $\sqrt[2013]{2013!} \leq 1007$.

Thomas Andrews
  • 177,126
  • I just noticed that this is the justification for my comment to Jacob Black's answer :-) – robjohn Mar 08 '13 at 20:40
  • Yeah, I originally had the same asnwer as most of the rest, but then I saw the AM/GM relationship made it all crystal clear. Most of the "direct" proofs using $(1007-i)(1007+i)<1007^2$ are just using the basic case of AM/GM with $n=2$. :) @robjohn – Thomas Andrews Mar 08 '13 at 20:54
17

Use Stirling’s approximation for the factorial:

$$n!\sim\sqrt{2\pi n}\left(\frac{n}e\right)^n\;,$$

so $$2013!\approx 112.46356(740.54132)^{2013}<1007^{2013}\;.$$

For a less computational approach, look at their ratio:

$$\begin{align*}\frac{2013!}{{1007}^{2013}}&=\frac{2013\cdot2012\cdot\ldots\cdot2\cdot1}{1007\cdot1007\cdot\ldots\cdot1007\cdot1007}\\\\ &=\underbrace{\frac{2013}{1007}\cdot\frac{2012}{1007}\cdot\frac{2011}{1007}\cdot\ldots\cdot\frac{1008}{1007}}_{1006\text{ factors}}\cdot\frac{1007}{1007}\cdot\underbrace{\frac{1006}{1007}\ldots\cdot\frac2{1007}\cdot\frac1{1007}}_{1006\text{ factors}}\;. \end{align*}$$

The $1006$ factors on the left are between $1$ and $2$; the factors on the right are between $1$ and $\frac1{1007}$. Try matching them up.

Brian M. Scott
  • 616,228
13

The number you used is still small enough to be calculated directly, so I used Python which have unlimited precision integer arithmetic to get the answer:

>>> math.factorial(2013) < 1007**2013
True

$2013!$ is a 5779-digit number:

2842867247059648714320882908184358975298425936765406743563017882090099387783580447012935263746562335479064550804211732063022834149625421992014144514533688428601587813569194324989561917151782797873121680666949119475158973400795970620477769770891025873157955892369624843826017526081184552011934374105097315782048120736085815132954887354715539226256291405434589203833779899000588701510318939043247864678134992934379533230544528487035914118945693626528290368591437206653279522877509212788210737957582469711071411021659870559714136474522599718501409090834918926679268116898270673098203451361899317085587433326969579362334919786008994344217419373006643085721568389423052059764681667173457445382263982941073416605568659124787280831190799962707336132841922714527968274349029365670003854224300000354656476434833237074182399956043794238102817592695696938568409658563414032484092565521956662668178041307970779320324765661689930554915530050651296122418092217569587585513016160316926502774945085654600201428197370411755207529508851026315971786389387156555114178249936514939656226821498735997768211690336174306416146685126970909294083138552874100725271266747942592189688081230332253100251403373027228801998127490992546175714650004281060557576018602691444874370276588961454729805801934914327058639037910641855479898434777131761105855951851430766729127680477612727441963181686830328681323514755070052559807855504808093205862574423306499683388729703624875824538600644082634581722622520635413894047216544019784438604398781448535720783960899315838792367983940191638537067898701245056584637806237613648468018169610742424883398829055732890553015662215573197318332952206241281889197604097179798088111804842744903817885667786672979352296770176797979680935970290662288862203487507979401519096847866678683866374334376409418963307236435361004707445941188594507325969642135133107415655296396624159611926210964204186787681300922165759386829935051758089290240223443538483111578632645575815706664545129018761043826893436452374686888469782790455363052163042518632450978515011042593378534376399702189202730567458796342736238859771708958480074038980187180566104679718225155832885875853654917359185418511438742450543999277408460122783085081722502691860182351628742942469052052715157975688543334095817706215356800313073446341193079209893599903066070195526563109494839115954474386835501264382220444236657418730177384297639296031881749231727029032121673951831434276019390206305794145748383191826612485618071270887347907256258516351143901013690471344368527519645321897619683156486225698317847429747071787435782505800084184225460708682095870996428539068134492961102165074890654386785683264530894831563132549697850639084675795153902191945156201050737533340297121449992322830373504638815285378819787554773575857714346271171627666997528270237625481717740484365952887157175985255192895785552274978335022571528293668119818363728825071916771945692681017826150901126099177461980958354110093788032189674991888570154690670597564487340888355272446828142492550508568505273063085689193317985522452127020856295149656879145397271909956463955318885551026529470343326333517019087867518976826084475341789777460562332134901190219314055148808405315658894204410944546182332408944358895866945504173885656268982293387670502772134839209278543053623115562418454749334700318355178628414168339732521747171855166109477719366226966982601829031348339568014756885616782225353731679589010642963026728648636517643953417223323299231306423925974998506982248088188586105779494525593610906456801237689150909962837142846451849955648319845974068370644068187479029156569762901273685536943757280003362988100863219269554589016589760560713983742575493275626526617700401513433557529843197510279124020494964257680880911644344603495723958279131978382862453869345658201667502410202572628757335499674300863432592256152060213732587660770868535439645357581075380700393727832817791761732689216175521623731997708698450168187892421709215550480506135272662476910084841930084011031354220700664181552094272535475251690999640528044608914938782665232028970687185403776703990325979508532509493002666906494481541013473948623057439067716354970459715223485500393463339996144504094685302690606100003782316415853025878871684344019606419775272528889669587663352056426642112160119700550423526808274366819908984680988815165676455989729650205942158024441753903462713582925148615281566818726873632617486647784105131818236742851031943060670450995458031472353966387062287071892889526379622030471150370864215268673980706329585427011992451333823961336244992035822313120108408842120520563544476799611543060018205099439432597579853313019154300707372638257691230423084283981806019389567318013796940093147068650783769412807683958066857778735252857988431592811150528499154617178393545996237667501439149410415620227944238095379762968189409689341536890547638203388318768592606767408394815503891306346323652116455703172953351201933588474955527563220129086963377342371823922961841428147215856281545446983868005765000965710748347784855863778139511179159754686588299301850513114088473086011993200873704826365083841064351095378526835498963203426650033008917628965391592199416177660939562162051582018360903009409052540002566924884243359804526539615984308373031809595967024782906756331879790638545240064000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

and $1007^{2013}$ is a 6046-digit number:

1254077062234018664294785651079353188661191253077799305813791179757827463805186107123273469774162053903664126567921214880932033405051028243615555397191501959364260106323003928599321002731683322949401999655210502809391744938419939018062738332716366402862880435215757453526985197860524118819294856127983255449949193650466469255920307637671989347192990896564831802193303662637471689858254881775308294931056314593558865859412277846959220316005981991390982043618484260701527330998191987467670734150735766216923294907326388071204275065828937002604828333415487795152122447781503832845594360026617507351283224921016611198831493030930482195981758131055818183689747995890365665651476279107424815287868636869361109928506681347743777119911720132660544786046218432565571441788621430604080484938296203394568060167964785329734766682282445348709796311930462634881013620799365053586508918742531723995580514506325855051297836741601484053866007270315702659026879500727872982925399920306004878569195371804797878588169806567743471607652184903935654682366878336922402095873725066023455495673971680917796870931989176869557339483808437125303744424285889537229059044642619648346914283225579841167348374992396139883093953597883022026613940909947963260200934055450518189836603255679961651932234043789207830810500983315729153195086873796101945746271571105969760560558474673462457192842307025382204408978139985316942634976642696036239694144802494437380633345270055518155661872599561602782831551015854360376852362198896088054294108745846372323744868111779302301864828787034294538431186740805407729221221092538026610307411284872463533074716183039238718934453105503115709074759891549572607475746124270904154617269282872431064418760657404943480376703772394830193542534923980294703200491989399888455519264140725015754438747808490754728228195350542284145885146267518973437142106052965376474697334769168078268439588720063899784678392463212420153271604344951195777099867103623029181256151565863342264358081103237677899742532254307011324297851932605737227757619582331337362937202532037703048994339486133351010395772589097738332078010937742001223138688103191338342016785546900286887136413546084102031478154802148593745011803049117248676268520024590101720302210022081475333049718624066089674062339696325767097320420574921212807053142397684107734692334589019508892436814513380209413333453786423301951317137931891144843941999224066924978701376539166863878436638601701149605461021309499531787007846991933987071139677327921044398530866847373830423887250132287581263056656330966554043980448894179103876180623542842106741176314281809495369002279509221037486496596955173870525460524772056062504996865599953381096312159510398668632636326635924938223389930395009279514608451353740725644669388264752061527944515458934134755626289255108836185121181184771576773846759018536287713620889223168938672514694830372923580040447527541497662746632526708920356778364570989755375348227324020290841706263402796453293081118866793817143965736955172622174740444427031100329692640572755726817645010476582861227308515667802309657213140529686619834758739065976720196399633029535094253444926481466810780444244506651281597693304907651855435795031368128636595839631205160309268803623825508414597916068816007830441724538944386987289758171996686036713977272268646097771933369950689231167653218368972662225033955287213444724587151129746063815151987603860878929743338699908308213846772881078076016654224992774474893780414856861418455758568555928120853996519570672171135232192319764377771865970942726057599666718258918406651223051636668412913474708138660886580985263085546458982296702137142351206696579031799556344824693240625077672709659998286725205509004830283197656903210582839563024232260326592755819473303383861527676998860545687645063318748530283405739793881025113444235717005666171205502713236894663824491695609417795380474164484646718590655302439605575575371575190405753148769483641795899660373967428060040657788737371116632866491256511158413866009194798597271706177322306869490328551607568903292098316666599023140864621617087929484284044079191805672733060081511348697947253411027124095400487245844730801175257983621024331495321786531616922039162913592768005437036481041275536397624907772994016156302190932986173731124327444304040277818998711083692425664802028566451489131922130636636327563058454100774790799030269611864727408707351741506510886801258224862130027819283629664430853185028196475323927825645459324714912369287899965129702587231534413346068078071518958842837313964017533052262604062216656395585843290878941151226327711912006654248000259908343491817913738717623629395442227942426634340036550828286035706571666464019197391502525331099640527493538152573209417865496959413035205251586141604510088834715910222799628803671089096203917892278218637191531064384904735895114668153361973352671866331933881048725186878743302851254928849660548950182980650988678881513724457558500306380451748079702690841426996917746250140820949864212459490851194295326298407959166994678124062954645120169535398298326186505351074592825566199265656946613452548948534151260010320428615602375922449959528121345645656036240327305610913191542364814975638640957196282843109231098728911165032474497262564587617903567623596507776203179936752166935493243612412572755693801253946291880554162232260976473100856265074690226644201344422886699749786632140170441912870937520769401612321569315634069706252655232184526258820931655837569433016986808676056526441898453784579526465891728693409412342325001443476462133136036423272384616019285378916897482032237882469062690699463170030720690767269771796023506960831459770328555781757419953133476243911399708997411118725821041780892616383234477816941928700326078397932007910398989221754941944886038634892813759031353686327338993821517941892809240416797651348177227471627413774344737866286577428297915594350331614454200789271020195739795319814256528806892687026301887805025454697821864351543821489137188302711156184139986445544510635013358045665197245162781538704101556709236428952277564431765848892987023407

(though I guess this is not really what you're looking for)

Sean Allred
  • 546
Lie Ryan
  • 1,200
8

Let $j \in \{1,2,\dots,2013\}$.

When $j$ is small, $1007$ is much larger in size than $j$. [For e.g. $1007 = 1007 \cdot 1$] So for small $j$, the $j$-th factor in $1007^{2013}$ is much larger in size than the $j$-th factor in $2013!$.

But when $j$ is large, $j$ is not that much larger than $1007$. [For e.g. $2013 < 1007 \cdot 2$] So for large $j$, the $j$-th factor in $2013!$ is not that much larger in size than the $j$-th factor in $1007^{2013}$.

Does this line of reasoning help you find an answer to this question?

[Notice also that $1007$ is the median (midpoint) of $\{1,2,\dots,2013\}$.]

Conan Wong
  • 2,233
3

Hint: Use the inequality $k(n-k)\le (n/2)^2$. Then you could prove the more general inequality (without Stirling).

Boris Novikov
  • 17,470
3

$1007^{2013}=(2013-1006)(2012-1005)(2011-1004).....(1008-1)$

$2013!=(1007+1006).(1007+1005).(1007+1004)....(1007-1006).(1007)$

$(1007^2-1006^2).(1007^2-1005^2).(1007^2-1004^2)...(1007^2-1^2).1007<(1007^2)^{1006} .1007$

$<1007^{2013}$

Inceptio
  • 7,881
2

A mere generalization, using Stirling's approximation again:

$$ n! \ \text{vs} \bigg(\frac{n}{2} \bigg)^n\\ \bigg(\frac{n}{e}\bigg)^n \sqrt{2 \pi n} \ \text{vs} \ \bigg(\frac{n}{2} \bigg)^n\\ 2 \pi n \ \text{vs} \bigg(\frac{e}{2} \bigg)^{2n} $$ LHS is $f(n)=2 \pi n=O(n)$, RHS is $g(n)=(\frac{e}{2} )^{2n}=O(a^{2n}), \ a>1$, so $f(n)=o(g(n))$. In fact this holds already for $n=6$.

Alex
  • 19,262