OFFSET
0,2
COMMENTS
T = 1
- (1/2 + 1/4 + 1/6 + ... + 1/(2m_1))
+ (1/3 + 1/5 + 1/7 + ... + 1/(2m_2+1))
- (1/(2m_1+2) + 1/(2m_1+4) + ... + 1/(2m_3)
+ (1/(2m_2+3) + 1/(2m_2+5) + ... + 1/(2m_4+1))
- (1/(2m_3+2) + 1/(2m_3+4) + ... + 1/(2m_5)
+ (1/(2m_4+3) + 1/(2m_4+5) + ... + 1/(2m_6+1))
- ...
where the partial sums of the terms from 1 through the end of rows 0, 1, ... are respectively 1, just < -2, just > 3, just < -4, just > 5, etc.
Every positive number appears exactly once as a denominator in T.
The series T is a divergent rearrangement of the conditionally convergent series Sum_{j>=1} (-1)^j/j which has the entire real number system as its set of limit points.
Comment from Hans Havermann: I calculated these with Mathematica. I used NSum[1/(2i), {i, 1, x}] for the even denominators, where I had to adjust the options to obtain maximal accuracy and N[(EulerGamma + Log[4] - 2)/2 + PolyGamma[0, 3/2 + y]/2, precision] for the odd denominators. The precision needed for the last term shown was around 45 digits.
REFERENCES
B. R. Gelbaum and J. M. H. Olmsted, Counterexamples in Analysis, Holden-Day, San Francisco, 1964; see p. 55.
EXAMPLE
1 - (1/2 + 1/4 + 1/6 + ... + 1/454) = -2.002183354..., which is just less than -2; so a(1) = m_1 = 227.
1 - (1/2 + 1/4 + 1/6 + ... + 1/454) + (1/3 + 1/5 + ... + 1/45891) = 3.000021113057..., which is just greater than 3; so a(2) = m_2 = 22945.
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn,nice
AUTHOR
N. J. A. Sloane, Feb 16 2004
EXTENSIONS
a(2) and a(3) from Hugo Pfoertner, Feb 17 2004
a(4) onwards from Hans Havermann, Feb 18 2004
STATUS
approved