Let's play with Exponent tower

Algebra Level 1

2 2 2 2 2 = 2 2 2 2 2 < 2 \LARGE \begin{aligned}\large \sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt {2^{\sqrt 2}}}}}}}} = \sqrt 2^{\sqrt 2^{\sqrt 2^{\sqrt 2^{\sqrt 2} }} } < 2\end{aligned}

Is this true?


Bonus: Generalize the following. x x x x n times {\LARGE \underbrace{\sqrt{x^{\sqrt{x^{\sqrt{x^{\sqrt {\cdots^{\sqrt x }}}}}}}}}_{n \text{ times}}}

No Yes

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4 solutions

Jacopo Piccione
Sep 9, 2018

Yes, it's true. Let's suppose that

2 2 2 2 2 < 2 ( 1 ) \sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2}}}} }}} } }<2\; \;\;\;\;\;\; (1)

Squaring both sides:

2 2 2 2 2 < 4 = 2 2 2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2}}}} }}} }<4=2^2

By monotonicity:

2 2 2 2 < 2 \sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2}}}} }} }<2

Which is similar to ( 1 ) (1) , with one square root less. It's now clear that iterating the process we have to end up with

2 < 2 \sqrt{2} <2 .

which is true, therefore ( 1 ) (1) is true too.

I don't know exactly what @Naren Bhandari wanted to say with "generalize", but I assume it's that: let's consider the sequence

a a 1 = x a n = x a n 1 \begin{array}{c}aa_1=\sqrt{x} \\ a_n=\sqrt{x^{a_{n-1}}} \end{array}

We can write a n a_n in this way:

a n = x a n 1 = x a n 1 a_n=\sqrt{x^{a_{n-1}}}=\sqrt{x}^{a_{n-1}}

Therefore a 2 = x x , a 3 = x x x a_2=\sqrt{x}^{\sqrt{x}}, \; a_3=\sqrt{x}^{\sqrt{x}^{\sqrt{x}} } and so on; hence a n a_n is x n \sqrt{x} \uparrow \uparrow n using Knuth's up-arrow notation.

For a more formal, although trivial, proof:

We can prove that by induction. The base case is obvious. The induction step too:

a n + 1 = x a n = x x n = x ( x n ) = x ( n + 1 ) a_{n+1}=\sqrt{x}^{a_n}=\sqrt{x}^{\sqrt{x} \uparrow \uparrow n}=\sqrt{x}\uparrow(\sqrt{x}\uparrow\uparrow n)=\sqrt{x} \uparrow\uparrow (n+1)

This is what I mean to generalize x x x x n times = x x x x n times \underbrace{\sqrt{x^{\sqrt{x^{\sqrt{x^{\sqrt {\cdots^{\sqrt x }}}}}}}}}_{\text{n times}\uparrow\uparrow} = \underbrace{\sqrt x^{\sqrt x^{\sqrt x^{\sqrt \cdots ^{\sqrt x}}}}}_{\text{n times }\uparrow\uparrow}

Naren Bhandari - 2 years, 9 months ago

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Ok, I've edited the solution showing that in a more formal way.

Jacopo Piccione - 2 years, 9 months ago

Oh, i thought you meant we should find a similar bound for any other values of x and n...

Because that is quite easy to prove: x F ( x ) = ( x F ( x ) ) 1 2 = x F ( x ) 2 = ( x 1 2 ) F ( x ) = x F ( x ) \sqrt{x^{F(x)}}=(x^{F(x)})^\frac{1}2=x^\frac{F(x)}2=(x^\frac{1}2)^{F(x)}=\sqrt{x}^{F(x)}

C . - 2 years, 8 months ago

I,m not convinced. Let's iteratively build up the tower starting with y = [sqrt(2)]^[sqrt(2). Then log(y) = sqrt(2) log(sqrt(2)) = .212860352, so y = 1.63252692. Now consider [sqrt(2)]^y = x. log(x) = y log(sqrt(2)) = .245719786, and x =1.760839556, and as we repeat this process, I think the limit is 2,So I would say we have equality rather than <. Looking at it another way, if we define the tower as t, the inequality can be written as [sqrt(2)]^r = r, which has the solution of r = 2. Another argument that we have equality, not <. Ed Gray

Edwin Gray - 2 years, 9 months ago

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The tower does not tend till infinity

typical beam - 2 years, 9 months ago

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Agreed, mea culpa, Ed

Edwin Gray - 2 years, 9 months ago

If the tower did tend to infinity, the limit is indeed 2. To see this, think about the sequences a n = b n 1 2 a_n=b_{n-1}^2 and b n = a n 1 2 b_n=a_n^\frac{1}{2} with a 0 = 2 a_0=2 . The limit of a n a_n is the same as the limit of the infinite tower.

Chris Maitland - 2 years, 8 months ago

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i think you mean a n = 2 b n 1 a_n = 2^{b_{n-1}} since what you have there, b n 1 2 b^2_{n-1} is just a n 1 a_{n-1} ... :-B

C . - 2 years, 8 months ago

Well no, the question is incorrect as sqrt(2)^sqrt(2)^sqrt(2)^sqrt(2)^sqrt(2)^sqrt(2)^sqrt(2)^sqrt(2)... is equal to 2. Presh Talwaker worked it out in the opening segment of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmP3sFIZ0XE

Elijah L - 2 years, 9 months ago

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@Elijah L @Edwin Gray but there aren't infinite many 2 \sqrt{2} here, only five.

Jacopo Piccione - 2 years, 9 months ago

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Jacopo, mea culpa, I misread the problem. Best Regards, Ed

Edwin Gray - 2 years, 9 months ago
Piero Sarti
Sep 18, 2018

Rewrite 2 2 2 2 2 \sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2}}}}}}}}} as ( 2 2 2 2 2 ) 1 2 = ( 2 ) 2 2 2 2 \left(2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2}}}}}}}}\right)^{\frac{1}{2}} = \left(\sqrt{2}\right)^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2}}}}}}}} .

For equivalence to hold, 2 2 2 2 = 2 2 2 2 \sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2^{\sqrt{2}}}}}}} = \sqrt{2}^{\sqrt{2}^{\sqrt{2}^{\sqrt{2}}}} . Continue the pattern and finally you will get that 2 = 2 \sqrt{2}=\sqrt{2} which is obviously true. All that's left is proving that they're both less than 2 2 . We know that 2 2 = 2 \sqrt{2}^2 = 2 so 2 2 < 2 \sqrt{2}^{\sqrt{2}} < 2 and continue this reasoning to prove that 2 2 2 2 2 < 2 \sqrt{2}^{\sqrt{2}^{\sqrt{2}^{\sqrt{2}^{\sqrt{2}}}}} < 2 and hence both are less than 2 2 .

May also equal to 2 If you take the equation as " x " ( sorry I could not type the " square root 2 .......etc. up to infinite,) then SQUARE it . It will be x^2 = 2 ( same equation) = 2 x Hence x^ 2 = 2 x or x = 2 So the given equation ( " square root 2 .......etc. up to infinite,) = x = 2 If I am wrong, please correct me

Madhusudhana Rao Sankarapu - 2 years, 8 months ago

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Yes....X may also equal to 2...but we must take power sqrt(2) infinte times then it converges to 2.......

Akash Gutal - 2 years, 8 months ago

I think x^2 = 2^x, not x^2 = 2x

LosAnky Raw - 2 years, 8 months ago
Scout Megyesi
Sep 18, 2018

For x > 0, the answer will always be closer 0

Umm... For x=4, even though 4>0, "the answer" (which answer, though?! you forgot to say...) doesn't seem to be getting anywhere near 0. The value increases super-exponentially, and at a mere n=5 we get 65536. Or is that still "closer 0" somehow? -.-

C . - 2 years, 8 months ago
Nicolas Guignes
Sep 20, 2018

a b = a b \sqrt{a^b} = \sqrt{a}^b for a , b > 0 a, b >0 , since both are positive and their squares are equal. The conclusion follows.

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