Author | Message | Time |
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nslay | Prove for x^x=y^y where 0 < x,y < 1, x != y That there exists infinite rational solutions. For example: (1/2)^(1/2)=(1/4)^(1/4) (1/4)^(1/4)=(1/4)^(1/2*1/2)=(1/2)^(1/2) I'll post the proof in a few days. | April 26, 2005, 6:26 AM |
Yoni | :'( | April 26, 2005, 6:21 PM |
R.a.B.B.i.T | I don't want to use logs, otherwise I'd attempt this. | April 26, 2005, 10:52 PM |
Yoni | You can easily prove it using analysis. The point is to not use calculus, but solve it in an insightful way. You don't need to use logs. | April 26, 2005, 11:13 PM |
R.a.B.B.i.T | At the level of math I'm at right now (pre-cal/trig), I'd need to use logs. | April 27, 2005, 2:46 PM |
nslay | Here is the proof. It's a little sloppy, it was my first proof at the time. [url]http://www.itsmagical.com/xtothex.doc[/url] | April 30, 2005, 12:04 AM |
kamakazie | [quote author=nslay link=topic=11394.msg110474#msg110474 date=1114819487] Here is the proof. It's a little sloppy, it was my first proof at the time. [url]http://www.itsmagical.com/xtothex.doc[/url] [/quote] Should learn latex, is fun and much better for typesetting these kind of things (i.e. mathematical proofs). Although I must say you do a nice job in word. | April 30, 2005, 2:03 AM |
Yoni | An attempt to simplify Nate's proof: Pick any positive integer "n". Let x = n / (n + 1). x is obviously a rational number. x^n and x^(n+1) are obviously rational, too (rational to the power of an integer = rational). a = x^n b = x^(n+1) b/a = x ln(a) / ln(b) = n ln(x) / (n + 1) ln(x) = n / (n + 1) = x ==> b/a = ln(a) / ln(b) ==> b ln(b) = a ln(a) ==> b^b = a^a Better illustrated: n = 1: a = (1/2) ^ 1, b = (1/2)^2 = (1/4) (1/2)^(1/2) = (1/4)^(1/4) n = 2: a = (2/3) ^ 2 = (4/9), b = (2/3)^3 = (8/27) (4/9)^(4/9) = (8/27)^(8/27) etc. Can you generalize this result? | April 30, 2005, 12:47 PM |