OFFSET
0,1
COMMENTS
This constant is transcendental.
The rational approximation z ~ 345131297/1073741820 is accurate to over 5 million digits.
This constant is one of 6 solutions to the equation 1/2 = Sum_{n>=1} {n*z}/2^n, where z is in the interval (0,1) - see cross-references for other solutions.
The complement to this constant is given by A265276.
LINKS
Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics, Devil's Staircase.
FORMULA
The constant z satisfies:
(1) 2*z - 1/2 = Sum_{n>=1} [n*z] / 2^n,
(2) 2*z - 1/2 = Sum_{n>=1} 1 / 2^[n/z],
(3) 3/2 - 2*z = Sum_{n>=1} 1 / 2^[n/(1-z)],
(4) 3/2 - 2*z = Sum_{n>=1} [n*(1-z)] / 2^n,
(5) 1/2 = Sum_{n>=1} {n*(1-z)} / 2^n,
where [x] denotes the integer floor function of x.
EXAMPLE
z = 0.321428569299834107234456044563859867169931036121886358119124...
where z satisfies
(0) 1/2 = {z}/2 + {2*z}/2^2 + {3*z}/2^3 + {4*z}/2^4 + {5*z}/2^5 +...
(1) 2*z - 1/2 = [z]/2 + [2*z]/2^2 + [3*z]/2^3 + [4*z]/2^4 + [5*z]/2^5 +...
(2) 2*z - 1/2 = 1/2^[1/z] + 1/2^[2/z] + 1/2^[3/z] + 1/2^[4/z] + 1/2^[5/z] +...
The continued fraction of the constant z begins:
[0; 3, 8, 1, 599185, 2, 1, 1, 3, 1, 2, ...]
(the next partial quotient has over 5 million digits).
The convergents of the continued fraction of z begin:
[0/1, 1/3, 8/25, 9/28, 5392673/16777205, 10785355/33554438, 16178028/50331643, 26963383/83886081, 97068177/301989886, 124031560/385875967, 345131297/1073741820, ...].
The partial quotients of the continued fraction of 2*z - 1/2 are as follows:
[0; 7, 4793490, 8, ..., Q_n, ...]
where
Q_1 = 2^0*(2^(3*1) - 1)/(2^1 - 1) = 7 ;
Q_2 = 2^1*(2^(8*3) - 1)/(2^3 - 1) = 4793490 ;
Q_3 = 2^3*(2^(1*25) - 1)/(2^25 - 1) = 8 ;
Q_4 = 2^25*(2^(599185*28) - 1)/(2^28 - 1) ;
Q_5 = 2^28*(2^(2*16777205) - 1)/(2^16777205 - 1) = 2^28*(2^16777205 + 1) ;
Q_6 = 2^16777205*(2^(1*33554438) - 1)/(2^33554438 - 1) = 2^16777205 ;
Q_7 = 2^33554438*(2^(1*50331643) - 1)/(2^50331643 - 1) = 2^33554438 ;
Q_8 = 2^50331643*(2^(3*83886081) - 1)/(2^83886081 - 1) ;
Q_9 = 2^83886081*(2^(1*301989886) - 1)/(2^301989886 - 1) ;
Q_10 = 2^301989886*(2^(2*385875967) - 1)/(2^385875967 - 1) ; ...
These partial quotients can be calculated from the simple continued fraction of z and the denominators in the convergents of the continued fraction of z; see the Mathworld link entitled "Devil's Staircase" for more details.
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn,cons
AUTHOR
Paul D. Hanna, Dec 08 2015
STATUS
approved