cp's OEIS Frontend

The continued fraction expression of this is A105818. "It was discovered by T. Vijayaraghavan that the infinite radical, sqrt( a_1 + sqrt( a_2 + sqrt ( a_3 + sqrt( a_4 + ... where a_n => 0, will converge to a limit if and only if the limit of (ln a_n)/2^n exists." [Clawson, 229; Sloane]. We know the asymptotic limit of Fibonacci numbers is Phi^n (Binet expansion) and that Phi^n < 2^n and hence that the Fibonacci Nested Radical converges.

Clawson misstates Vijayaraghavan's theorem. Vijayaraghavan proved that for a_n > 0, the infinite radical sqrt(a_1 + sqrt(a_2 + sqrt(a_3 + ...))) converges if and only if limsup (log a_n)/2^n < infinity. (For example, suppose a_n = 1 if n is odd, and a_n = e^2^n if n is even. Then (log a_n)/2^n = 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, ... for n >= 1, so the limit does not exist. However, limsup (log a_n)/2^n = 1 and the infinite radical converges.) - Jonathan Sondow, Mar 25 2014

The semiprime nested radical is defined by the infinite recursion: sqrt(4 + sqrt(6 + sqrt(9 + sqrt(10 + sqrt(14 + ... + sqrt(semiprime(n))))). This converges by the criterion of T. Vijayaraghavan that "the infinite radical, sqrt( a_1 + sqrt( a_2 + sqrt ( a_3 + sqrt( a_4 + ... where a_n => 0, will converge to a limit if and only if the limit of (ln a_n)/2^n exists." [Clawson, 229; Sloane A072449]. The continued fraction representation of this constant is A105816.

Clawson misstates Vijayaraghavan's theorem. Vijayaraghavan proved that for a_n > 0, the infinite radical sqrt(a_1 + sqrt(a_2 + sqrt(a_3 + ...))) converges if and only if limsup (log a_n)/2^n < infinity. (For example, suppose a_n = 1 if n is odd, and a_n = e^2^n if n is even. Then (log a_n)/2^n = 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, ... for n >= 1, so the limit does not exist. However, limsup (log a_n)/2^n = 1 and the infinite radical converges.) - Jonathan Sondow, Mar 25 2014

The semiprime nested radical is defined by the infinite recursion: sqrt(4 + sqrt(6 + sqrt(9 + sqrt(10 + sqrt(14 + ... + sqrt(semiprime(n))))). This converges by the criterion of T. Vijayaraghavan that "the infinite radical, sqrt( a_1 + sqrt( a_2 + sqrt ( a_3 + sqrt( a_4 + ... where a_n => 0, will converge to a limit if and only if the limit of (ln a_n)/2^n exists." [Clawson, 229; Sloane A072449].

Clawson misstates Vijayaraghavan's theorem. Vijayaraghavan proved that for a_n > 0, the infinite radical sqrt(a_1 + sqrt(a_2 + sqrt(a_3 + ...))) converges if and only if limsup (log a_n)/2^n < infinity. (For example, suppose a_n = 1 if n is odd, and a_n = e^2^n if n is even. Then (log a_n)/2^n = 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, ... for n >= 1, so the limit does not exist. However, limsup (log a_n)/2^n = 1 and the infinite radical converges.) - Jonathan Sondow, Mar 25 2014

The decimal expansion of this is A105817. "It was discovered by T. Vijayaraghavan that the infinite radical, sqrt( a_1 + sqrt( a_2 + sqrt ( a_3 + sqrt( a_4 + ... where a_n => 0, will converge to a limit if and only if the limit of (ln a_n)/2^n exists." [Clawson, 229; Sloane]. We know the asymptotic limit of Fibonacci numbers is Phi^n (Binet expansion) and that Phi^n < 2^n and hence that the Fibonacci Nested Radical converges.

Clawson misstates Vijayaraghavan's theorem. Vijayaraghavan proved that for a_n > 0, the infinite radical sqrt(a_1 + sqrt(a_2 + sqrt(a_3 + ...))) converges if and only if limsup (log a_n)/2^n < infinity. (For example, suppose a_n = 1 if n is odd, and a_n = e^2^n if n is even. Then (log a_n)/2^n = 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, ... for n >= 1, so the limit does not exist. However, limsup (log a_n)/2^n = 1 and the infinite radical converges.) - Jonathan Sondow, Mar 25 2014

Let Z be the Riemann zeta function, and consider its sequence of nontrivial zeros with nonnegative imaginary part, {r(m)}, so that for every m >= 1, Z(r(m)) = 0, 0 <= Re(r(m)) <= 1, and 0 <= Im(r(m)), and for every k > m, Im(r(m)) < Im(r(k)), or Im(r(m)) = Im(r(k)) and Re(r(m)) < Re(r(k)).

Let i be the imaginary unit, and define the sequence {b(m)} as follows: b(1) = Z((r(1)-1/2)/i), b(2) = Z((r(1)-1/2)/i + Z((r(2)-1/2)/i)), b(3) = Z((r(1)-1/2)/i + Z((r(2)-1/2)/i + Z((r(3)-1/2)/i))), and so on. If this sequence converges, we call its limit the pearl of Z.

Suppose that the Riemann Hypothesis is true. Then the sequence {b(m)} is real. On the interval [2,oo), Z is decreasing, positive, and bounded above by 2, so {b(2*m-1)} is decreasing and bounded below by 0, and hence, it converges to a real value, say A. Moreover, {b(2*m)} is increasing and b(2*m) <= b(2*m+1), and by repeated application of the mean value theorem, b(2*m+1) - b(2*m) <= Z(Im(r(2*m+1))) * |Z'(Im(r(1)))|^(2*m) <= 2*(4/100000)^(2*m), so {b(2*m)} also converges to A, and {a(n)} is the decimal expansion of this value.

We don't know if the existence of a real pearl of Z implies the Riemann Hypothesis.

More generally, the definition of pearl works for Dirichlet L-functions, giving rise to analogous constants, not necessarily real.