cp's OEIS Frontend

The odd infinite power tower function is h_o(x) = lim f(n,x) as n --> infinity, where f(n+1,x) = x^x^(f(n,x)) and f(1,x) = x. The even infinite power tower function h_e(x) is the same limit except with f(1,x) = x^x (see A194347). The limits exist if and only if 0 < x <= e^(1/e). If (1/e)^e <= x <= e^(1/e), then h_o(x) = h_e(x) = h(x) (the infinite power tower function-see the comments in A073230) and y = h(x) is a solution of x^y = y. If 0 < x < (1/e)^e, then h_o(x) < h_e(x), and two solutions of x^x^y = y are y = h_o(x) and y = h_e(x). For example, y = h_o(1/16) = 1/4 and y = h_e(1/16) = 1/2 are solutions of (1/16)^(1/16)^y = y.

h_o(1/17) and h_e(1/17) are irrational, and at least one of them is transcendental (see Sondow and Marques 2010).