TOPICS
Search

Vallée Constant


The Vallée constant v is the limit, as n->infty, of the nth roots of the probabilities that two independent random variables x and y, each uniformly distributed on (0,1), have the same first n partial denominators in their regular continued fraction representations. Let N be the first index at which their partial denominators differ. The mean number of iterations needed to determine whether x<y or x>y is given by

<N>=3/4+(180)/(pi^4)sum_(i=1)^(infty)sum_(j=i+1)^(2i)1/(i^2j^2)
(1)
=(17)/4+(360)/(pi^4)sum_(i=1)^(infty)sum_(j=1)^(i)((-1)^i)/(i^2j^2)
(2)
=17-(60)/(pi^4)[24Li_4(1/2)-pi^2ln^22+21zeta(3)ln2+ln^42]
(3)
=1.3511315744...
(4)

(OEIS A074903; Finch 2003, p. 161), where Li_4(x) is a polylogarithm and zeta(s) is the Riemann zeta function.

Let p_n=P(N>=n+1) for n>=0. The first few values are

p_1=sum_(i=1)^(infty)1/(i^2(i+1)^2)
(5)
=1/3pi^2-3
(6)
=0.2898681336...
(7)
p_2=sum_(i=1)^(infty)sum_(j=1)^(infty)1/((ij+1)^2(ij+i+1)^2)
(8)
=-5+2/3pi^2-2zeta(3)+2sum_(n=0)^(infty)(-1)^n(n+1)zeta(n+4)[zeta(n+2)-1]
(9)
=0.0484808014...
(10)
p_3=sum_(i=1)^(infty)sum_(j=1)^(infty)sum_(k=1)^(infty)1/((ijk+i+k)^2(ijk+ij+i+k+1)^2)
(11)
=0.0102781647....
(12)

The value

 v=lim_(n->infty)p_n^(1/n)=0.1994588183...
(13)

(OEIS A143302) is then known as the Vallée constant (Finch 2003, p. 161).


Explore with Wolfram|Alpha

References

Finch, S. R. "Vallée's Constant." §2.19 in Mathematical Constants. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, pp. 160-163, 2003.Sloane, N. J. A. Sequences A074903 and A143302 in "The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences."

Referenced on Wolfram|Alpha

Vallée Constant

Cite this as:

Weisstein, Eric W. "Vallée Constant." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Resource. https://mathworld.wolfram.com/ValleeConstant.html

Subject classifications