Interrelationship between power of 2 and integer length

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between the length (number of digits) of powers of 2 and their respective exponents. Participants explore mathematical expressions and implications of this relationship, focusing on both theoretical and statistical aspects.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the equation that relates the number of digits in powers of 2 to their exponents, noting a staircase pattern in their plotted data.
  • Another participant provides a mathematical expression for the length of an integer in base 10, specifically for powers of 2, suggesting that the length can be approximated by the formula ##\lfloor \log_{10}(2^n)\rfloor + 1 \sim n\log_{10}(2) + 1##.
  • A third participant discusses the relationship between the linear increase in the number of digits and the exponential growth of the number, referencing the implicit function ##10^y = 2^x## and suggesting that the ratio ##y/x = b## is a constant.
  • A later reply acknowledges the logarithmic relationship and expresses appreciation for the clarification provided.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants appear to agree on the mathematical framework for understanding the relationship between the length of powers of 2 and their exponents, but the discussion includes varying interpretations and implications of the relationship.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about logarithmic properties and the implications of exponential growth are present but not fully explored. The discussion does not resolve all mathematical nuances or potential variations in interpretation.

Nile3
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Hello, I was wondering if someone knew the equation which describe the exact or statistical relation between the length(# of digits) of a power of 2 based on it's power.

I plotted 200 of the powers in mathematica and I get a fairly straightforward staircase plot. I'm just wondering what's the rule here.

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The length of an integer ##x## in basis 10 is given by ##\lfloor\log_{10}(x)\rfloor+1##, where the strange brackets denote the largest integer smaller or equal than ##x##. So if ##x=2^n##, then the length is

[tex]\lfloor \log_{10}(2^n)\rfloor + 1 \sim n\log_{10}(2) + 1[/tex]
 
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If the number of digits of a number increases linearly, the number increases exponentially; if the exponent of a number increases linearly, the number increases exponentially. Basically you've plotted the implicit function 10^y = 2^x.

y/x = b is a constant because the equation 2 = 10^b has one root. To estimate b consider 2^10 = 1024 and 10^3 = 1000.
 
Last edited:
n * (memorize 0.3 as log[10,2]) +1, excellent, thanks!
 

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