Irrational Numbers from Adjacent Natural Numbers (Part Xb)

Staircase Sequences of Irrational Numbers Derived from √(n((−x^k ∕ y^k) + x + y)

This is a continuation of Part Xa for √n((−x^k ∕ y^k) + x + y).

It has been shown (Between_two_Rational_Numbers on Wiki) that between two real numbers (ℝ) there exists an irrational number. Accordingly, it will be shown here that between two adjacent natural numbers (ℕ) there exists an irrational number (ℝ\ℚ). In addition, an arithmetic progression or sequence of irrational numbers will be generated in this section where there are two common differences (Δ₁) and (Δ₂) between the irrational numbers generated from √n((−x^k ∕ y^k) + x + y). So, therefore, let's proceed as follows:

The sequence derived from the equation √n((−x^k ∕ y^k) + x + y) where k = 2 is shown in Table I, and that for k = 3 is shown in Table II where the values of n range from 1 to 10, while those of x and y range, respectively, from 1 to 20 and 2 to 21. The differences (Δ₁) and (Δ₂) between the irrational numbers are, respectively, about 0.5 and 1.5 where Δ₂ corresponds to the end of one Δ₁ to the start of the next Δ₁ in the sequence, and approach these values as x and y increase without bound. The value for each √n((−x^k ∕ y^k) + x + y), is calculated to 6 decimal places, is irrational and each of these values indeed falls between their respective consecutive natural numbers. In addition, the fourth column heading is SQRT = √n((−x^k ∕ y^k) + x + y).

If the natural numbers are plotted on a grid vs n the following picture of a staircase is obtained. The blue lines are the Δ₁ differences of 0.5 within the run of the staircase, while the black diagonal, is the difference Δ₂ of 1.5; the red, in addition, is a jump from one level to the next (the rise of the staircase). Note that both sequences can be displayed using the same figure.

Is still possible to write out the as one line sequence (for the first ten natural numbers, in red) for k = 2:

and for k = 3:

In the staircase sequence the n is required in order that the irrational numbers fall between their two adjacent natural numbers.

Go back to Part Xa for proofs for√n((−x^k ∕ y^k) + x + y).

Go to Part I or Part IV for non-staircase (ramp) methods. Go back to homepage.