Unsolved analysis and number theory from other sites....

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

This thread discusses various unsolved questions in the fields of analysis and number theory, as posted on different math forums. The scope includes theoretical inquiries, derivations, and limit evaluations, with participants sharing their attempts and challenges in solving these problems.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents a limit involving a sum and attempts to simplify it using algebraic manipulation but finds no resolution.
  • Another participant builds on the initial approach, suggesting a reformulation of the sum and concluding that the limit is zero, although this is not universally accepted.
  • A different unsolved problem is introduced regarding the asymptotic behavior of a sum involving complex exponentials, with no solutions provided yet.
  • A participant seeks to derive Binet's Formula for a modified Fibonacci sequence definition but struggles to find a working formula, indicating a potential misunderstanding of the method.
  • Another participant discusses a linear differential equation and explores its general solution, noting the complexity and the need for specific function forms.
  • A question about evaluating a residue at a pole is raised, with one participant suggesting a method involving Laurent series expansion, while the correctness of this approach remains unverified.
  • Lastly, a participant attempts to solve an integral involving \(x^x\) but does not provide a complete solution, indicating ongoing uncertainty in the approach.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the approaches to the problems, with some methods being challenged or refined. No consensus is reached on the solutions to the presented questions, and multiple competing views remain throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Some mathematical steps and assumptions are not fully resolved, and the discussions often depend on specific definitions or interpretations of the problems posed. The complexity of the problems may lead to varying interpretations and methods of approach.

  • #61
No, it's 0 by L'hospital's rule.

Then I am sure you have made an error. Natural asymptotic expansions (in my case PNT :p) shows that $\mathrm{li}(x) \sim x/\log(x)$, i.e., $\mathrm{li}(x) = x/\log(x) + o(x/\log(x))$ so you're almost definitely wrong.

EDIT : Ah, I misread. I thought you were trying to prove $\li(x) = o(x/\log(x))$. Yes, you are indeed right, and one can do it much easier that L'Hopital : note that $\log(x)$ grows like $o(x^\epsilon)$.

No.

Well, potato pohtato. $\mathrm{li}(2)$ is a constant hence $O(1)$ and anything $O(1)$ is automatically $O(x/\log(x))$.
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
  • #62
Euge said:
By L'hospital's rule,

$$\lim_{x\to \infty} \dfrac{\int_0^x \frac{dt}{\ln t}}{\frac{x}{\ln x}} = \lim_{x\to \infty} \dfrac{\frac{1}{\ln x}}{\frac{\ln x - 1}{\ln^2 x}} = \lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{\ln x}{\ln x - 1} = 1$$.

So for all sufficiently large $x$,

$$ |\int_0^x \frac{dt}{\ln t}| < \frac{3}{2} |\frac{x}{\ln x}|$$

Consequently,

$$ \int_0^x \frac{dt}{\ln t} = \mathcal{O}\left(\frac{x}{\ln x}\right)$$ as $$x\to \infty$$.

I must confess that when I proposed this problem taken from another site, I assumed that the solution You were to go through the prime number theorem ... Euge instead found a brilliant application of the l'Hopital rule that greatly simplifies the job... .. excellent! (Yes)...

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$
 
  • #63
Prime number theorem is just overkill. The proof I had in mind was by Steepest descent, but evidently it was unnecessary too.

Well done, Euge.
 
  • #64
Beautiful!

However, the original problem didn't specify a $\text{li}$ function, nor did it specify a Cauchy principal value for the integral.
So as I see it, $\int_0^x \frac{dt}{\ln t}$ is undefined for $x\to\infty$.

Perhaps Kid_Dynamite wanted it for $x \to 0$ after all...
 
  • #65
I like Serena said:
Beautiful!

However, the original problem didn't specify a $\text{li}$ function, nor did it specify a Cauchy principal value for the integral.
So as I see it, $\int_0^x \frac{dt}{\ln t}$ is undefined for $x\to\infty$.

Perhaps Kid_Dynamite wanted it for $x \to 0$ after all...

Because for $\displaystyle x \ge \mu = 1.4513692348...$ is $\displaystyle \text{li}\ (x) = \int_{\mu}^{x} \frac{dt}{\ln t}$ and $\displaystyle \text{Li}\ (x) = \int_{2}^{x} \frac{dt} {\ln t}$ is also $\displaystyle \text{li}\ (x) - \text{Li}\ (x) = \text{li}\ (2) = 1.04516378...$, i.e. the difference between the two functions is a constant and it has no effect on the behavior for $\displaystyle x \to \infty$. For more details see...

Logarithmic Integral -- from Wolfram MathWorld

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$
 
  • #66
I like Serena said:
Beautiful!

However, the original problem didn't specify a $\text{li}$ function, nor did it specify a Cauchy principal value for the integral.
So as I see it, $\int_0^x \frac{dt}{\ln t}$ is undefined for $x\to\infty$.

Perhaps Kid_Dynamite wanted it for $x \to 0$ after all...

I used the notation $\mathrm{li}(x)$ since there was some confusion as to the meaning of $\int_0^x \frac{dt}{\ln t}$, but like I've said before, this integral (for $x > 1$) is to be understood in the principal value sense:

$\displaystyle \mathrm{li}(x) := \int_0^x \frac{dt}{\ln t} = \lim_{\varepsilon \to 0^+} \left(\int_0^{1 - \varepsilon} \frac{dt}{\ln t} + \int_{1 + \varepsilon}^x \frac{dt}{\ln t}\right)$
 
  • #67
Posted the 03 27 2014 on www.artofproblemsolving.com by the user TheCaffeinheartmachine and not yet solved...

For $\alpha> 2$ find $\displaystyle \int_{0}^{\infty} \frac{x-1}{x^{\alpha} - 1}\ dx$...

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$
 
Last edited:
  • #68
chisigma said:
Posted the 03 27 2014 on www.artofproblemsolving.com by the user TheCaffeinheartmachine and not yet solved...

For $\alpha> 2$ find $\displaystyle \int_{0}^{\infty} \frac{x-1}{x^{\alpha} - 1}\ dx$...

The way to solve this integral is the formula obtained in...

http://mathhelpboards.com/discrete-mathematics-set-theory-logic-15/difference-equation-tutorial-draft-part-i-426.html#post2494

$\displaystyle \sum_{n = 1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{(n + a) (n+b)} = \frac{\phi(b) - \phi(a)}{b - a}\ (1)$

... where...

$\displaystyle \phi(x) = \frac{d}{d x} \ln x!\ (2)$

First step is to separate the integral in two parts...

$\displaystyle \int_{0}^{\infty} \frac{1 - x}{1 - x^{\alpha}}\ d x = \int_{0}^{1} \frac{1 - x}{1 - x^{\alpha}}\ dx + \int_{0}^{1} x^{\alpha - 3}\ \frac{1 - x}{1 - x^{\alpha}}\ dx\ (3)$

For the first integral, using the (1), we find ...

$\displaystyle \frac{1 - x}{1 - x^{\alpha}} = 1 - x + x^{\alpha} - x^{\alpha + 1} + ... + x^{n\ \alpha} - x^{n\ \alpha+1} + ... \implies \int_{0}^{1} \frac{1 - x}{1 - x^{\alpha}} = \sum_{n = 0}^{\infty} \frac{1}{(n\ \alpha + 1)(n\ \alpha + 2)} = \frac{1}{2} + \frac{\phi(\frac{2}{\alpha}) - \phi(\frac{1}{\alpha})}{\alpha} \ (4) $

... and for the second...

$\displaystyle x^{\alpha - 3}\ \frac{1 - x}{1 - x^{\alpha}} = x^{\alpha - 3} - x^{\alpha - 2} + x^{2\ \alpha - 3} - x^{2\ \alpha - 2} + ... + x^{(n + 1)\ \alpha - 3} - x^{(n+1)\ \alpha - 2} + ... \implies $

$\displaystyle \implies \int_{0}^{1} x^{\alpha - 3}\ \frac{1 - x}{1 - x^{\alpha}}\ d x = \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{(n\ \alpha - 2)\ (n\ \alpha - 1)} = \frac{\phi(- \frac{1}{\alpha}) - \phi(- \frac{2}{\alpha})}{\alpha}\ (5)$

... so that is...

$\displaystyle \int_{0}^{\infty} \frac{1 - x}{1 - x^{\alpha}}\ dx = \frac{1}{2} + \frac{\phi(\frac{2}{\alpha}) - \phi(\frac{1}{\alpha})}{\alpha} + \frac{\phi(- \frac{1}{\alpha}) - \phi(- \frac{2}{\alpha})}{\alpha}\ (6)$

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$
 
Last edited:
  • #69
Posted the 10 24 2014 on www.artofproblemsolving.com by the user TheChainheartMachine and not yet solved...

Evaluate $\displaystyle \int_{0}^{\infty} \frac{3\ x\ \sin x - \cos x + 1}{x^{2}}\ dx$

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$
 
  • #70
chisigma said:
Posted the 10 24 2014 on www.artofproblemsolving.com by the user TheChainheartMachine and not yet solved...

Evaluate $\displaystyle \int_{0}^{\infty} \frac{3\ x\ \sin x - \cos x + 1}{x^{2}}\ dx$

It is well known that...

$\displaystyle \int_{0}^{\infty} \frac{\sin x}{x}\ dx = \frac{\pi}{2}\ (1)$

... so that the problem is to compute...

$\displaystyle \int_{0}^{\infty} \frac{1 - \cos x}{x^{2}}\ dx\ (2)$

The integral (2) can be found integrating the function $\displaystyle f(z) = \frac{1 - e^{i\ z}}{z^{2}}$ along the path C shown in the figure...

http://d2b4wtkw5si7f7.cloudfront.net/96/93/i97162134._szw380h285_.jpg

Is...

$\displaystyle \int_{- R}^{- r} \frac{1 - e^{i\ x}}{x^{2}}\ dx + \int_{\gamma} \frac{1 - e^{i\ z}}{z^{2}}\ dz + \int_{r}^{R} \frac {1 - e^{i\ x}}{x^{2}}\ dx + \int_{\Gamma} \frac{1 - e^{i\ z}}{z^{2}}\ dz = 0\ (3)$

... where we indicated with $\gamma$ the 'small half circle' and with $\Gamma$ the 'big half circle'. If R tends to infinity the fourth integral tends to 0 and for the second integral is...

$\displaystyle \lim_{r \rightarrow 0} \int_{\gamma} \frac{1 - e^{i\ z}}{z^{2}}\ dz = \lim_{r \rightarrow 0} - i\ \int_{0}^{\pi} \frac{1 - e^{i\ r\ e^{i\ \theta}}}{r} e^{- i\ \theta}\ d \theta = - \int_{0}^{\pi} d \theta = - \pi\ (4)$

Combining (3) and (4), if R tends to infinity and r tends to 0, we found that...

$\displaystyle \int_{- \infty}^{+ \infty} \frac{1 - \cos x}{x^{2}}\ d x = \pi\ (5)$

... so that, taking into account (1), we arrive to write...

$\displaystyle \int_{0}^{\infty} \frac{3\ x\ \sin x - \cos x + 1}{x^{2}}\ d x = \frac{3\ \pi}{2} + \frac{\pi}{2} = 2\ \pi\ (6)$

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 24 ·
Replies
24
Views
6K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K