Here's the original problem:
Prove by induction that $\left(\frac{1}{2}\right) \left(\frac{3}{4}\right) \cdots \left(\frac{2n-1}{2n} \right) \leq \frac{1}{\sqrt{n+1}}$ for all $n \in \mathbb{N}$.
After some time trying and getting nowhere, I thought that maybe I could start with a simpler form and try to get somehow to the result I wanted. So I did this:
First, we can see that $\frac{1}{\sqrt{n+1}}<n$ for all $n \in \mathbb{N}$, so $$\left(\frac{1}{2}\right) \cdots \left(\frac{2n-1}{2n} \right) \leq \frac{1}{\sqrt{n+1}} < n \implies \left(\frac{1}{2}\right) \cdots \left(\frac{2n-1}{2n} \right) \leq n.$$ If we are able to prove the second inequality, then the original one must also be true. So, let $P(n): \left(\frac{1}{2}\right) \cdots \left(\frac{2n-1}{2n} \right) \leq n.$ We can check that $P(1)$ is true, since $\frac{1}{2} \leq 1$. So, suppose that $P(n)$ holds, such that $$P(n+1): \left(\frac{1}{2}\right) \cdots \left(\frac{2n-1}{2n} \right) \left(\frac{2n+1}{2n+2}\right) \leq n+1.$$
Now,
\begin{align} \left(\frac{1}{2}\right) \cdots \left(\frac{2n-1}{2n} \right) \left(\frac{2n+1}{2n+2}\right) &\leq n\left(\frac{2n+1}{2n+2}\right) && \text{(by induction hypotheses)}\\ &<n\left(\frac{2n+1}{2n+2}\right)\left(\frac{2n+2}{2n+1}\right) && (\text{because } (2n+1)/(2n+2) < (2n+2/2n+1))\\ &<n<n+1. \end{align}
It follows that $P(n+1)$ holds if $P(n)$ holds, so, by mathematical induction, $P(n)$ is true. So, as a consequence, $\left(\frac{1}{2}\right) \left(\frac{3}{4} \right) \cdots \left(\frac{2n-1}{2n} \right) \leq \frac{1}{\sqrt{n+1}}$ is also true.
My questions are:
Is my logic correct? Am I able to take a simpler case, as I did, to prove the expression that falls in between? I'm almost sure that what I did was correct, but I don't know how to justify it. Also, if this is correct, why is it so and is this also true in general for different situations?
HINT: The induction step can be done without any special tricks. You’re assuming that
$$\left(\frac{1}{2}\right) \left(\frac{3}{4}\right)\ldots \left(\frac{2n-1}{2n} \right) \leq \frac{1}{\sqrt{n+1}}\;,$$
and you want to show that
$$\left(\frac{1}{2}\right) \left(\frac{3}{4}\right)\ldots \left(\frac{2n-1}{2n} \right)\left(\frac{2n+1}{2n+2}\right) \leq \frac{1}{\sqrt{n+2}}\;.\tag{1}$$
This will follow immediately if you can show that
$$\frac1{\sqrt{n+1}}\cdot\frac{2n+1}{2n+2}\le\frac1{\sqrt{n+2}}\;.\tag{2}$$
(Why?) Since everything in sight is positive, the inequality $(2)$ is equivalent to
$$(2n+1)\sqrt{n+2}\le(2n+2)\sqrt{n+1}\;,$$
which holds if and only if
$$(2n+1)^2(n+2)\le(2n+2)^2(n+1)\;.$$
This is easily checked.