TITLE: Prove that: $\lfloor n^{1/2}\rfloor+\cdots+\lfloor n^{1/n}\rfloor=\lfloor \log_2n\rfloor +\cdots+\lfloor \log_nn \rfloor$, for $n > 1$
QUESTION [16 upvotes]: Prove that: $\lfloor n^{1/2}\rfloor+\cdots+\lfloor n^{1/n}\rfloor=\lfloor \log_2n\rfloor +\cdots+\lfloor \log_nn \rfloor$, for $n > 1,\, n\in \mathbb{N}$
For example. For $n=2$, we have
$\lfloor 2^{1/2} \rfloor = \lfloor 1.414 \rfloor = 1$ whereas 
$\lfloor \log_2(2) \rfloor = 1$
while for $n=3$, we have
$$\lfloor 3^{1/2} \rfloor + \lfloor 3^{1/3} \rfloor = \lfloor 1.732 \rfloor + \lfloor 1.442 \rfloor = 2= \lfloor 1.585 \rfloor + \lfloor 1 \rfloor=\lfloor \log_2(3) \rfloor + \lfloor \log_3(3) \rfloor .$$
I was thinking of using induction.
So since $n=2$ is true, now assume for all $n$, this identity is true, we would like to prove that $n+1$ is true. Then
$$\lfloor n^{1/2} \rfloor + \lfloor n^{1/3} \rfloor + ... + \lfloor n^{1/n} \rfloor + \lfloor (n+1)^{1/(n+1)} \rfloor,$$
where $(n+1)^{1/(n+1)} > 1$ for all $n>1$ but it's strictly decreasing above 1 so $\lfloor (n+1)^{1/(n+1)} \rfloor = 1$ 
$\implies \lfloor n^{1/2} \rfloor + \lfloor n^{1/3} \rfloor +\cdots+ \lfloor n^{1/n} \rfloor + \lfloor (n+1)^{1/(n+1)} \rfloor
= \lfloor n^{1/2} \rfloor + \lfloor n^{1/3} \rfloor +\cdots+ \lfloor n^{1/n} \rfloor + 1 $
$= \lfloor \log_2(n) \rfloor + \lfloor \log_3(n) \rfloor + \cdots+ \lfloor \log_n(n) \rfloor + \lfloor \log_{n+1}(n+1) \rfloor$
since, $\log_{n+1}(n+1) = 1$ for all $n$.

My question is: How do we know that $(n+1)^{1/(n+1)}$ will never go below $1$? i.e., How can we prove that this function $f(x) = (x+1)^{1/(x+1)}$ is always bounded below by $1$ for $x>1$? (First, When $x=0$, $f(0)=1$, then looking at it's derivative, one can see that it's strictly increasing for $x$ between $(0,1)$ and decreasing for all $x>1$).

REPLY [35 votes]: This is a classic exercise and one with a very elegant solution.
The idea of the proof is to count the number $N$ of the points (see figure below) with integer coordinates, which lie in the region
$$
U=\big\{(x,y): 0<x\le n \,\,\,\text{and}\,\,\, 1<y\le n^{1/x}\big\},
$$
and in particular, the red points,
in two ways: horizontally and vertically.
Horizontal counting:
$$
N=\lfloor n^{1/2}\rfloor+\lfloor n^{1/3}\rfloor+\cdots+\lfloor n^{1/n}\rfloor,
$$
since on the horizontal line $\,y=k\,$ lie exactly $\,\lfloor n^{1/k}\rfloor\,$ red points.
Vertical counting:
$$
N=\lfloor \log_2 n\rfloor+\lfloor\log_3 n\rfloor+\cdots+\lfloor \log_n n\rfloor,
$$
since on the vertical line $\,x=k\,$ lie exactly $\,\lfloor \log_k n\rfloor\,$ red points.
$$
{}
$$

Note that the curve in the figure above is of the function $y=n^{1/x}$.
This problem was first asked in a Soviet Mathematics Olympiad in 1982 (Всесоюзный Математический Олимпиад.)