Big, Bigger, Biggest!

Calculus Level 5

Let x = 1 0 100 , y = 1 0 x , z = 1 0 y x=10^{100}, y=10^{x}, z=10^{y} and let

a 1 = x ! , a 2 = x y , a 3 = y x , a 4 = z x , a 5 = e x y z , a 6 = z 1 y , a 7 = y z x a_{1}=x!, a_{2}=x^{y}, a_{3}=y^{x}, a_{4}=z^{x}, a_{5}=e^{xyz}, a_{6}=z^{\frac{1}{y}}, a_{7}= y^{\frac{z}{x}} .

You might want to use the Stirling's approximation of n ! 2 π n ( n + 1 2 ) e n n! \approx \sqrt{2\pi}n^{(n+\frac{1}{2})}e^{-n} for large n n .

Arrange a 1 , a 2 , a 3 , a 4 , a 5 , a 6 , a 7 a_{1}, a_{2}, a_{3}, a_{4}, a_{5}, a_{6}, a_{7} in increasing order and catenate the index number of your sequence as the answer.

For example, if you think a 1 < a 2 < a 3 < a 4 < a 5 < a 6 < a 7 a_{1}<a_{2}<a_{3}<a_{4}<a_{5}<a_{6}<a_{7} , then input 1234567 1234567 as the answer.


This problem is a shameless ripoff of STEP (Sixth Term Examination Papers) 1999 Pure Mathematics- Question 1.


The answer is 6132475.

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1 solution

Zk Lin
Feb 1, 2016

Define the function f ( x ) = log ( log ( x ) ) f(x)=\log(\log(x)) . Since f ( x ) f(x) is increasing for x > 1 x>1 , we can infer that if f ( x 2 ) > f ( x 1 ) f(x_{2})>f(x_{1}) , then x 2 > x 1 x_{2}>x_{1} .

Now,

f ( x ! ) log ( log ( 2 π ( 1 0 100 ( 1 0 100 + 1 2 ) e 1 0 100 ) ) f(x!) \approx \log(\log(\sqrt{2\pi}({10^{100}}^{(10^{100}+\frac{1}{2})}e^{-10^{100}}))

= log ( log ( 2 π 1 0 ( 1 0 102 + 50 ) e 1 0 100 ) ) =\log(\log(\sqrt{2\pi}10^{(10^{102}+50)}e^{-10^{100}}))

= log ( log 2 π + 1 0 102 + 50 1 0 100 log e ) =\log(\log\sqrt{2\pi}+10^{102}+50-10^{100}\log e)

log ( 1 0 102 ) \approx \log(10^{102})

= 102 =102

Note that 1 0 102 10^{102} is larger than 1 0 100 log e 10^{100}\log e by orders of magnitude of at least 2 2 , so our approximation is justified.

We do the same thing to a 2 , a 3 , a 4 , a 5 , a 6 , a 7 a_{2}, a_{3}, a_{4}, a_{5}, a_{6}, a_{7} and find that

f ( a 1 ) 102 f(a_{1}) \approx 102

f ( a 2 ) = 1 0 100 + 2 f(a_{2})= 10^{100} +2

f ( a 3 ) = 200 f(a_{3})= 200

f ( a 4 ) = 1 0 100 + 100 f(a_{4})= 10^{100}+100

f ( a 5 ) = 100 + 1 0 100 + 1 0 1 0 100 + log ( log e ) 100 + 1 0 100 + 1 0 1 0 100 f(a_{5})= 100+ 10^{100} +10^{10^{100}}+ \log (\log e) \approx 100+ 10^{100} +10^{10^{100}} . (As an exercise, prove this)

f ( a 6 ) = 0 f(a_{6})= 0

f ( a 7 ) = 1 0 1 0 100 f(a_{7})= 10^{10^{100}}

All of these are relatively easy to prove. The readers are invited to verify the results.

It is now obvious that f ( a 6 ) < f ( a 1 ) < f ( a 3 ) < f ( a 2 ) < f ( a 4 ) < f ( a 7 ) < f ( a 5 ) f(a_{6})<f(a_{1})<f(a_{3})<f(a_{2})<f(a_{4})<f(a_{7})<f(a_{5}) , from which the conclusion a 6 < a 1 < a 3 < a 2 < a 4 < a 7 < a 5 a_{6}<a_{1}<a_{3}<a_{2}<a_{4}<a_{7}<a_{5} follows.

Therefore, the desired answer is 6132475 \boxed{6132475} .

Moderator note:

Nice usage of f ( x ) f(x) . What motivates such an approach?

Nice usage of f ( x ) f(x) . What motivates such an approach?

Calvin Lin Staff - 5 years, 4 months ago

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The huge numbers (incidentally powers of 10 10 ) involved motivates the use of f ( x ) = log x f(x)=\log x to downscale them for easier comparison. However, after applying the logarithm function once, some of the numbers remain exceedingly large, so f ( x ) = log ( log x ) f(x)=\log(\log x) is chosen. It should be noted that log x > 0 \log x>0 for all a i a_{i} , so f ( x ) f(x) is defined. If we choose f ( x ) = log ( log ( log x ) ) f(x)=\log(\log(\log x)) , it would not be defined for x = a 6 x=a_{6} .

ZK LIn - 5 years, 4 months ago

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