Solving $2^{2^{\sqrt3}}>10$ without a Calculator

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around proving the inequality \(2^{2^{\sqrt{3}}} > 10\) without the use of a calculator. Participants explore various mathematical approaches and reasoning techniques to establish this inequality, focusing on estimation and bounding methods.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests starting with the inequalities involving square roots to establish bounds for \(\sqrt{3}\) and subsequently for \(2^{2^{\sqrt{3}}}\).
  • Another participant proposes using the average of 1 and 2 as an approximation for \(\sqrt{3}\) to refine the lower bound for \(2^{2^{\sqrt{3}}}\).
  • A different viewpoint expresses skepticism about proving the inequality without a calculator, citing that numerical approximations show \(2^{2^{\sqrt{3}}}\) is very close to 10, making it challenging to establish the inequality by hand.
  • Taking logarithms is mentioned as a potential method to reformulate the inequality, with one participant noting that the left side of the resulting inequality is positive but very small, raising doubts about proving it without computational assistance.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the feasibility of proving the inequality without a calculator. Some believe it can be approached through bounding techniques, while others argue that the closeness of the numerical value to 10 complicates the proof without computational tools.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the assumptions made about the bounds for \(\sqrt{3}\) and the subsequent implications for \(2^{2^{\sqrt{3}}}\). The discussion also reflects uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of the proposed methods in achieving a conclusive proof.

maxkor
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How prove that $2^{2^{\sqrt3}}>10$ without a calculator?
 
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maxkor said:
How prove that $2^{2^{\sqrt3}}>10$ without a calculator?

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sqrt{1} < \sqrt{3} &< \sqrt{4} \\ 1 < \sqrt{3} &< 2 \\ 2^1 < 2^{\sqrt{3}} &< 2^2 \\ 2 < 2^{\sqrt{3}} &< 4 \\ 2^2 < 2^{2^{\sqrt{3}}} &< 2^4 \\ 4 < 2^{2^{\sqrt{3}}} &< 16 \end{align*}$

That may have been a start at least...
 
Prove It said:
$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sqrt{1} < \sqrt{3} &< \sqrt{4} \\ 1 < \sqrt{3} &< 2 \\ 2^1 < 2^{\sqrt{3}} &< 2^2 \\ 2 < 2^{\sqrt{3}} &< 4 \\ 2^2 < 2^{2^{\sqrt{3}}} &< 2^4 \\ 4 < 2^{2^{\sqrt{3}}} &< 16 \end{align*}$

That may have been a start at least...

and what next?
 
maxkor said:
and what next?

Can you find a better starting lower bound for $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sqrt{3} \end{align*}$?

Maybe if we use the average of 1 and 2 as a decent starting approximation for $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \sqrt{3} \end{align*}$, then we would have $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \frac{3}{2} \approx \sqrt{3} \end{align*}$. Notice that $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \left( \frac{3}{2} \right) ^2 = \frac{9}{4} = 2.25 \end{align*}$, so $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \frac{3}{2} < \sqrt{3} \end{align*}$.

Follow the same process in my previous to find another lower bound for $\displaystyle \begin{align*} 2^{2^{\sqrt{3}}} \end{align*}$.

If it's not enough, find a better starting lower bound again...
 
maxkor said:
How prove that $2^{2^{\sqrt3}}>10$ without a calculator?
My first thought is to estimate the difficulty of the problem by using a calculator to find the numerical value of $2^{2^{\sqrt3}}$. The result I get is that (to six decimal places) it is equal to $10.000478$. That is so close to $10$ that a very accurate calculation will be needed to prove this inequality, and I don't see any way of doing it by hand.

If you twice take logs to base 10 then the inequality becomes $\sqrt3\log2 + \log(\log2) > 0$. The calculator shows that the left side of that inequality is indeed positive, but it is less than $10^{-5}$. Again, that is so close to $0$ that I cannot see any way to prove it without a calculator.
 

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