If any two integers m , n are chosen from the interval [ 1 , ∞ ) , find the probability that they are relatively coprime to 3 decimal places.
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Let A p denote the event that at least one of the numbers is not divisible by a given prime p . Then we can see that P [ A p ] = 1 − p 2 1 . The event that the two nonzero integers are relatively prime is just ⋂ p A p , and the events are independent, so we have P [ p ⋂ A p ] = p ∏ P [ A p ] = p ∏ ( 1 − p 2 1 ) = ζ ( 2 ) 1 = π 2 6 .
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→ We may consider the sum 2 ∑ n ≤ x ϕ ( n ) − 1 , which ϕ ( n ) is the totient function. )
→ When m ≤ n , there is ∑ n ≤ x ϕ ( n ) number of pairs of ( m , n ) .
→ The case when n ≤ m is the same, since we have counted the pair ( 1 , 1 ) twice, we minus one from the total, and we get the stated formula.
⊙ We now prove that ∑ n ≤ x ϕ ( n ) = ( 3 / π 2 ) x 2 + O ( x l o g x ) .
As ∑ d ∣ n ϕ ( d ) = n , by Möbius inversion formula, ϕ ( n ) = ∑ d ∣ n μ ( d ) ( n / d ) .
To get a good estimation of ∑ n ≤ x ϕ ( n ) , we proceed as following.
∑ n ≤ x ϕ ( n )
= ∑ n ≤ x ∑ d ∣ n μ ( d ) ( n / d )
Define k = n / d
= ∑ d , k , a n d , d k ≤ x μ ( d ) ( k )
= ∑ d ≤ x μ ( d ) ∑ k ≤ x / d ( k )
Since ∑ k ≤ x / d ( k ) is sum of integers less than or equal to x ,
the sum is ( ⌊ x / d ⌋ ) ( ⌊ x / d ⌋ + 1 ) / 2
→ ∑ n ≤ x ϕ ( n ) = ∑ d ≤ x μ ( d ) ( ⌊ x / d ⌋ ) ( ⌊ x / d ⌋ + 1 ) / 2
Since ⌊ x / d ⌋ = x / d + O ( 1 ) ,
So ( ⌊ x / d ⌋ ) ( ⌊ x / d ⌋ + 1 ) = ( x / d + O ( 1 ) ) ( x / d + O ( 1 ) ) = x 2 / d 2 + O ( x / d )
so ∑ d ≤ x μ ( d ) ( ⌊ x / d ⌋ ) ( ⌊ x / d ⌋ + 1 ) / 2
= 1 / 2 ( x 2 ) ∑ d ≤ x μ ( d ) / d 2 + O ( ∑ d ≤ x ( x / d ) μ ( d ) )
= 1 / 2 ( x 2 ) ∑ d ≤ x μ ( d ) / d 2 + O ( ∑ d ≤ x ( x / d ) ∣ μ ( d ) ∣ )
= 1 / 2 ( x 2 ) ∑ d ≤ x μ ( d ) / d 2 + O ( ∑ d ≤ x ( x / d ) )
= 1 / 2 ( x 2 ) ∑ d ≤ x μ ( d ) / d 2 + O ( x ∑ d ≤ x ( 1 / d ) )
= 1 / 2 ( x 2 ) ∑ d ≤ x μ ( d ) / d 2 + O ( x ∫ 1 x ( 1 / d ) d d ) )
= 1 / 2 ( x 2 ) ∑ d ≤ x μ ( d ) / d 2 + O ( x l o g x )
So as x → ∞ ,
lim x → ∞ ( 2 ∑ n ≤ x ϕ ( n ) − 1 ) / ( x 2 ) )
= lim x → ∞ [ x 2 ( ∑ d ≤ x μ ( d ) / d 2 + O ( x l o g x ) ] / x 2
= lim x → ∞ ( ∑ d ≤ x μ ( d ) / d 2 ) + O ( x l o g x ) ] / x 2
As ∑ d ≤ x μ ( d ) / d 2 = 1 / ζ ( 2 ) = 6 / ( π ) 2
so lim x → ∞ ( 2 ∑ n ≤ x ϕ ( n ) − 1 / ( x 2 ) ) = 6 / ( π ) 2
where ζ ( s ) is the Riemann zeta function, and so the solution is 6 / ( π ) 2 .