TITLE: limit $ \lim \limits_{n \to \infty} {\left(\frac{z^{1/\sqrt n} + z^{-1/\sqrt n}}{2}\right)^n} $
QUESTION [10 upvotes]: Calculate the limit $ \displaystyle \lim \limits_{n \to \infty} {\left(\frac{z^{1/\sqrt n} + z^{-1/\sqrt n}}{2}\right)^n} $
I now the answer, it is $ \displaystyle e^\frac{\log^2z}{2} $, but I don't know how to prove it. It seems like this notable limit $\displaystyle \lim \limits_{x \to \infty} {\left(1 + \frac{c}{x}\right)^x} = e^c$ should be useful here. For example I tried this way: $$ (z^{1/\sqrt n} + z^{-1/\sqrt n}) = (z^{1/(2 \sqrt n)} - z^{-1/(2 \sqrt n)})^2 + 2 $$
$$ \displaystyle \lim \limits_{n \to \infty} {\left(\frac{z^{1/\sqrt n} + z^{-1/\sqrt n}}{2}\right)^n} = \displaystyle \lim \limits_{n \to \infty} {\left(1 + \frac{(z^{1/(2 \sqrt n)} - z^{-1/(2 \sqrt n)})^2}{2}\right)^n} $$ 
where $ (z^{1/(2 \sqrt n)} - z^{-1/(2 \sqrt n)})^2 $ seems close to $ \frac{\log^2 z}{n} $.
Also we can say that $$ \left(\frac{z^{1/\sqrt n} + z^{-1/\sqrt n}}{2}\right)^n = e^{n \log {\left(1 + \frac{\left(z^{1/(2 \sqrt n)} - z^{-1/(2 \sqrt n)}\right)^2}{2}\right)}}$$ and $ \log {\left(1 + \frac{(z^{1/(2 \sqrt n)} - z^{-1/(2 \sqrt n)})^2}{2}\right)} $ can be expand in the Taylor series. But I can't finish this ways.
Thanks for the help!

REPLY [2 votes]: If $L$ is the desired limit then we have
\begin{align}
\log L &= \log\left\{\lim_{n \to \infty}\left(\frac{z^{1/\sqrt{n}} + z^{-1/\sqrt{n}}}{2}\right)^{n}\right\}\notag\\
&= \lim_{n \to \infty}\log\left(\frac{z^{1/\sqrt{n}} + z^{-1/\sqrt{n}}}{2}\right)^{n}\text{ (via continuity of log)}\notag\\
&= \lim_{n \to \infty}n\log\left(\frac{z^{1/\sqrt{n}} + z^{-1/\sqrt{n}}}{2}\right)\notag\\
&= \lim_{n \to \infty}n\cdot\dfrac{\log\left(1 + \dfrac{z^{1/\sqrt{n}} + z^{-1/\sqrt{n}} - 2}{2}\right)}{\dfrac{z^{1/\sqrt{n}}+z^{-1/\sqrt{n}} - 2}{2}}\cdot\dfrac{z^{1/\sqrt{n}}+z^{-1/\sqrt{n}} - 2}{2}\notag\\
&= \lim_{n \to \infty}n\cdot\dfrac{z^{1/\sqrt{n}}+z^{-1/\sqrt{n}} - 2}{2}\notag\\
&=\frac{1}{2}\lim_{n \to \infty}n\left(\frac{z^{1/\sqrt{n}} - 1}{z^{1/2\sqrt{n}}}\right)^{2}\notag\\
&= \frac{1}{2}\lim_{n \to \infty}\{\sqrt{n}(z^{1/\sqrt{n}} - 1)\}^{2}\notag\\
&= \frac{(\log z)^{2}}{2}\notag
\end{align}
Hence $L = \exp\left\{\dfrac{(\log z)^{2}}{2}\right\}$.