The Wallis Product

Honor’s Paper No. 2

There is a famous formula, Wallis’ Formula, which is shown below. The problems, which
follow, lead to a proof of the formula.
π 2 2 4 4 6 6 2n 2n
= ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋯ ⋅ ⋯
2 1 3 3 5 5 7 2n − 1 2n + 1
2 2 4 4 6 6 2n 2n
= lim ( ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋯ ⋅ )
n→∞ 1 3 3 5 5 7 2n − 1 2n + 1

Let In be defined as
π/2

In = ∫ sinn x dx for n = 1, 2 ⋯
0

1. Show that the following formulas are valid. Hint: sine reduction formula and induction.
π/2
1 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 5 ⋯ (2n − 1) π
I2n = ∫ sin2n x dx = for n = 1, 2 ⋯ (1)
0 2 ⋅ 4 ⋅ 6 ⋯ (2n) 2
π/2
2 ⋅ 4 ⋅ 6 ⋯ (2n)
I2n+1 = ∫ sin2n+1 x dx = for n = 1, 2 ⋯ (2)
0 3 ⋅ 5 ⋅ 7 ⋯ (2n + 1)
The key to proving the above formulas is the following reduction formula:
π/2
k − 1 π/2 k−2 k−1
Ik = ∫ sink x dx = ∫ sin x dx = Ik−2 . (3)
0 k 0 k
This formula is proven using integration by parts:
π/2 π/2

∫0 sink x dx = ∫ sink−1 x sin x dx

0

π/2
π/2
= − cos x sink−1 x∣0 + ∫ (k − 1) sink−2 x cos2 x dx
0

π/2 π/2

= ∫ (k − 1) sink−2 x dx − ∫ (k − 1) sink x dx
0 0

Solving this equation for Ik leads to formula (3).

Equation (1) is verified with an induction argument. When n = 1 we have
π/2 π/2
1 − cos(2x) π
I2 = ∫ sin2 x dx = ∫ dx = ,
0 0 2 4
and the right hand side of (1) with n = 1 becomes ( 21 ) π2 , which verifies that (1) is true
when n = 1.
 Assume now that (1) is true for n. The following lines show it is then true for n + 1.

2(n + 1) − 1 2(n + 1) − 1 1 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 5 ⋯ (2n − 1) π

I2(n+1) = ( ) I2n = ( )
2(n + 1) 2(n + 1) 2 ⋅ 4 ⋅ 6 ⋯ (2n) 2
1 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 5 ⋯ (2n − 1)(2(n + 1) − 1) π
=
2 ⋅ 4 ⋅ 6 ⋯ (2n)(2(n + 1)) 2
The argument to verify equation (2) is exactly the same with a slight difference when
n = 1, which is shown below.
π/2
2 2 2
I3 = ( ) I1 = ( ) ∫ sin x dx = ,
3 3 0 3
and this is exactly the right hand side of (2) when n = 1.
I2n+2 2n + 1
2. Show that = .
I2n 2n + 2
This is obvious given equation (3).

3. Show that I2n+2 ≤ I2n+1 ≤ I2n .

For x ∈ [0, π2 ] we know that 0 ≤ sin x ≤ 1, which means that sin2n+2 x ≤ sin2n+1 x ≤ sin2n x.
Thus, we have
π/2 π/2 π/2

∫0 sin2n+2 dx ≤ ∫ sin2n+1 dx ≤ ∫ sin2n dx or (4)

0 0

I2n+2 ≤ I2n+1 ≤ I2n (5)

2n + 1 I2n+1 I2n+1
4. Show that ≤ ≤ 1. Show that lim = 1.
2n + 2 I2n n→∞ I2n
This is clear from inequality (5), from problem 2, and the squeeze theorem.

π 2 2 4 4 6 6 2n 2n
5. Show that = lim ( ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋯ ⋅ ).
2 n→∞ 1 3 3 5 5 7 2n − 1 2n + 1
That this limit equals π2 , follows from problem 4 and the fact that
2⋅4⋅6 ⋯ (2n)
π I2n+1 π ⎛ 3⋅5⋅7 ⋯ (2n+1) ⎞
( ) =
2 I2n 2 ⎝ 1⋅3⋅5 ⋯ (2n−1) π ⎠
2⋅4⋅6 ⋯ (2n) 2

π 2 2 4 4 6 6 2n 2n
= ( ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋯ ⋅ )
2 1 3 3 5 5 7 2n − 1 (2n + 1) π2
2 2 4 4 6 6 2n 2n
= ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋯ ⋅
1 3 3 5 5 7 2n − 1 (2n + 1)