]> Pi - The Wallis Product

The Wallis Product

π=2 (2 1 ×2 3 ×4 3 ×4 5 ×6 5 ×...)

Proof: Let a n= 0 π/2 (sinx) ndx.

Since 0 sinx1 for 0 xπ/2 it follows that a n is a decreasing sequence.

Integrating by parts,

a n = (sinx) n1 cosx 0 π/2 + 0 π/2 (n1 )(sinx) n2 cos 2 xdx = 0 + 0 π/2 (n1 )(sinx) n2 (1 sin 2 x)dx

Thus a n=(n1 )a n2 (n1 )a n, that is a n=n1 na n2 .

We have that a 0 =π/2 and a 1 =1 . Applying the recurrence relation yields

a 2 n=π2 ×1 2 ×3 4 ×...×2 n1 2 n

and

a 2 n+1 =2 3 ×4 5 ×...×2 n2 n+1

Since a n is a decreasing sequence,

1 a 2 na 2 n+1 a 2 n1 a 2 n+1 =1 +1 2 n

Therefore as n, the ratio a 2 na 2 n+1 1 , hence

π2 ×1 3 5 (2 n1 )2 4 6 (2 n)×3 5 7 (2 n+1 )2 4 6 (2 n)1