For , monotonicity gives . Integrating over that unit interval proves the strict inequalities, equivalently for .
Let be the harmonic number and define , . The same integral comparison gives and . Also and . The monotone convergence theorem for sequences therefore gives a common finite limit, Euler's constant .
The integral bounds for Euler's constant start at and . Strict monotonicity, already at the next index, makes the limit bounds strict:
Positivity is explicit because . This establishes the required limit without assuming its decimal value.
Figure 1.
Integral comparison and nested bounds for Euler's constant
. Original graph: the height lies between and on , illustrated for . The second panel shows the decreasing upper and increasing lower sequences; their gap tends to zero. Details.