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Conference rusure::math

Title:Mathematics at DEC
Moderator:RUSURE::EDP
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2083
Total number of notes:14613

668.0. "x^x = -1" by BEING::POSTPISCHIL (Always mount a scratch monkey.) Thu Feb 19 1987 13:20

    Here is a problem I saw on a blackboard in a ZK rest room several
    months ago:  Characterize the solutions to x^x = -1. 
    
    Some information that may be of use:  e^(k+Oi) = e^k (cos O + i sin O),
    so ln -1 = pi i. 
    
    
    				-- edp 
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668.1degenerative case?CACHE::MARSHALLhunting the snarkThu Feb 19 1987 19:399
    
    
    x = -1
                                                   
                  /
                 (  ___
                  ) ///
                 /
    
668.2SSDEVO::LARYThu Feb 19 1987 19:565
Note that to characterize all solutions you must take into account that
complex log is multi-valued, and ln -1 = pi*i + 2*N*pi*i for all integer
N (positive and negative) - the degenerate case in .1 can be derived
from the -pi*i value of ln -1.

668.3not a solution, but it may helpSSDEVO::LARYThu Feb 19 1987 21:1348
		        ia
If you represent x as re  , where r and a are real numbers, you get
	 x
	x  = -1  --> x ln x = (2N+1)*pi*i

-->	(r cos a + i r sin a) (ln r + a i) = (2N+1)*pi*i

	note that, if we don't restrict a to lie in (-pi,pi],
	we don't have to worry about the multiple values of ln x
	(this is opinion, not fact - I passed Complex Variables
	 in college by the skin of my teeth, because I didn't
	 find the subject very interesting - oh, well.....)

Setting real and imaginary parts of the two sides equal, we get:

a)	r(ln r)(cos a) - ra(sin a)= 0

		--> ln r = a(tan a)	(or r = 0 which we know is not
						a solution)

b)	r(ln r)(sin a) + ra(cos a) = (2N+1)pi


	substituting (a) into (b) we get:

	ra[(sin a)(tan a) + (cos a)] = (2N+1)pi

	ra/(cos a) = (2N+1)pi

	  a(tan a)
	ae          
	------- = (2N+1)pi
	cos a

Solving the members of this family of equations for a gives the possible
"radials" on which solutions may lie. It is pretty easy to substitute various
values for a to see what "radials" have solutions: e.g. a = pi is a solution
of this equation when N=0 and yields the "degenerate" solution of x = -1

Radials that don't have any solutions include: a = 0 [positive reals],
a = pi/2 [LHS is not defined, but equation (a) yields r=0 which cannot be
a solution of equation (b)], a = pi/4, etc. Note that any rational multiple of
pi (except pi itself) is very unlikely to be a root of any equation in the
family because the equation will simplify to:

	 exp(something)/cos(something else) = rational.

Anyone have a rootsolving program they would like to try out?
668.4nearly periodic sets of solutionsENGINE::ROTHFri Feb 20 1987 12:3516
    If we look at the equation in .4,

	a = (2n+1)pi*cos(a)/exp(a*tan(a))

    The right hand side is an even funtion with periodic singularities
    at odd multiples of pi/2 (essential singularities, in fact), with
    zeroes at even multiples of pi.

    This implies that it will have solutions at approximately
    odd multiples of pi/2 since the right hand side of the equation
    varies monotonically in each interval from k*pi/2 to (k+1)*pi/2.

    I don't know if there is a nice closed form expression for the
    roots though.

    - Jim
668.5Not exactly the Mandelbrot set, but worth a look?SQM::HALLYBAre all the good ones taken?Fri Feb 20 1987 12:415
    When somebody solves this I'd like to suggest they produce a graphic
    diagram in the complex plane.  Simple B/W where the pixels are on
    for points that represent solutions.
    
      John