What is solution to x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) = 2? ( That is x raised to x raised to x ..infinite times... = 2)
One immediate thing comes to mind is: it is same as x^(the whole thing which is 2) =2 so x = sqrt 2
but if we consider, x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) = 4 still we get (if apply same logic) x=sqrt 2 but then x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) is 2 or 4, if x=sqrt 2? Surely if x=sqrt2 this series should blow up..and can't remain finite..... Then what is the way to find x?
> What is solution to > x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) = 2? > ( That is x raised to x raised to x ..infinite times... = 2)
> One immediate thing comes to mind is: > it is same as x^(the whole thing which is 2) =2 > so x = sqrt 2
That is correct.
> but if we consider, > x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) = 4 > still we get (if apply same logic) > x=sqrt 2 > but then x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) is 2 or 4, if x=sqrt 2?
It's only 2.
I think there is a result due to Euler that the equation x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) = c has a real solution iff 1/e <= c <= e.
> Sujit <sujit.gu...@gmail.com> wrote: >> Hello all,
>> What is solution to >> x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) = 2? >> ( That is x raised to x raised to x ..infinite times... = 2)
>> One immediate thing comes to mind is: >> it is same as x^(the whole thing which is 2) =2 >> so x = sqrt 2
> That is correct.
>> but if we consider, >> x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) = 4 >> still we get (if apply same logic) >> x=sqrt 2 >> but then x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) is 2 or 4, if x=sqrt 2?
> It's only 2.
> I think there is a result due to Euler that the equation > x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) = c has a real solution iff 1/e <= c <= e.
> David
Euler, I dont know, but it is reasonably easy to prove. Except it is first *essential* to define x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) as the limit of the sequence u_0=x, u_1=x^x,..., u_(n+1)=x^(u_n) ; then classical tests of convergence of this sequence (here using the mean value theorem) give the result above
> What is solution to > x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) = 2? > ( That is x raised to x raised to x ..infinite times... = 2)
> One immediate thing comes to mind is: > it is same as x^(the whole thing which is 2) =2 > so x = sqrt 2
> but if we consider, > x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) = 4 > still we get (if apply same logic) > x=sqrt 2 > but then x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) is 2 or 4, if x=sqrt 2? > Surely if x=sqrt2 this series should blow up..and can't remain finite..... > Then what is the way to find x?
For any x^x^x^... = z, then it must be true that x^z = z. Let us assume that x,z real with x,z>0. If x^z=z, then x=z^(1/z). Since 0 < z^(1/z) < ~1.4446... for all z, then we see that x^x^x^... cannot converge for x > ~1.4446...
This does not prove that x^x^... will converge everywhere on (0,1.4446...), but if it did converge anywhere in this interval, it must converge to one of the two values which solves x=z^(1/z).
> On May 16, 7:20 am, Sujit <sujit.gu...@gmail.com> wrote: >> Hello all,
>> What is solution to >> x^(x^(x^(x^x^...)))....)))) = 2? >> ( That is x raised to x raised to x ..infinite times... = 2)
I want to add (just) an opinion on notation and convention.
One cannot evaluate this - x^(x^(...)) = 2 because there is no initial value to start with the evaluation.
I think you (I'm adressing the OP here) should write ...^(x^(x)) = 2 and then ...^(x^(x)) = y x^y = y
Now you may search for x such that x,x^x,x^x^x,...^x^x^x converges and find a range for x, where this converges. (Euler-range for x):
1/e^e < x < e^(1/e) or -1*e < ln(x) < e^-1
Insert this and you find x = 2^(1/2) = sqrt(2) which is in the (Euler-) range.
Now you say, but the same x can be used to express:
...^(x^(x)) = 4 because x^4 = 4 x = 4^(1/4)
But how would you introduce a function (of x), which provides two values for the same x? Functions are *defined* to provide exactly one value for each x (if at all) . And also: you may try any value for x from the convergent Euler-range and approximate- you'll never arrive at 4.
It's the same as with x^2 = y
Formulated as a *function* x=f(y) x = f(y)= y^(1/2) you have only one solution x for each y (for y=2 we have x = 1.414... ) As a function in x y = f(x) = x^2 we have then one value for y for each x (where different x may give the same value for y, for x0=-sqrt(2), x1=+sqrt(2) y0=y1=2 )
Using the above problem it is
x = f(y) = y^(1/y)
By the definition of a function we have one solution x for each y (which may be arrived by different y, namely x=sqrt(2) for y=2 and y=4).
If we want to understand this as *function* of x y = f(x) = lim ...^(x^(x^x)) then by definition we can have only one value of y for any x by the definition of a function. (Again: many x may give the same value for y - but this was not asked in the OP)
If we want to understand y=...^(x^(x^x)) as *inverse* f^-1(y) of x = f(y) = y^(1/y), with a *set of solutions* in y we have to introduce a new convention, different to that of functions.
For the inverse of the exponential-function, y = f(x) = exp(x), we have the same problem, we find not only two (as in the sqrt-example) but even infinitely many (complex) values x giving the same y: we have a set of values of x mapping to the same y : {x0,x1,x2,...} -> y and a notion for an inverse of this mapping y-> {x0,x1,x2,...} needs then the introduction of another concept; often simply formulated as "multivalued function". I find this an unlucky formulation, and think, there should be a better name for this. Maybe this name was chosen, because for y=exp(x) the set of {x0,x1,x2,...} has a simple structure: xk = x0 + k*2*pi*I , k=0..inf (But that's only speculation, don't really know the exact whereabouts of the introduction of the name "multivalued function" besides Euler's treatise of the log-function, where he dealt with this)
--- Hmm, my own argumentation still doesn't look very straight, as I read this second time before posting, sorry; I seem to need some more practice with this discussion myself...