- Integer relation algorithm
An integer relation between a set of real numbers "x"1, "x"2, ..., "x""n" is a set of integers "a"1, "a"2, ..., "a"n, not all 0, such that
:
An integer relation algorithm is an
algorithm for finding integer relations. Specifically, given a set of real numbers known to a given precision, an integer relation algorithm will either find an integer relation between them, or will determine that no integer relation exists with coefficients whose magnitudes are less than a certainupper bound . [Since the set of real numbers can only be specified up to a finite precision, an algorithm that did not place limits on the size of its coefficients would always find an integer relation for sufficiently large coefficients. Results of interest occur when the size of the coefficients in an integer relation is small compared to the precision with which the real numbers are specified.]History
For the case "n" = 2, an extension of the
Euclidean algorithm can determine whether there is an integer relation between any two real numbers "x"1 and "x"2. The algorithm generates successive terms of thecontinued fraction expansion of "x"1/"x"2; if there is an integer relation between the numbers then their ratio is rational and the algorithm eventually terminates.The first general algorithm that was proved to work for all values of "n" was the Ferguson-Forcade algorithm, published in 1979 by
Helaman Ferguson and R.W. Forcade. [MathWorld|urlname=IntegerRelation|title=Integer Relation] Subsequent developments, focussing on improving both efficiency and numerical stability, produced the following algorithms:*The LLL algorithm, developed by
Arjen Lenstra ,Hendrik Lenstra andLászló Lovász in 1982. [MathWorld|urlname=LLLAlgorithm|title=LLL Algorithm]
*The PSOS algorithm, developed by Ferguson in 1988. [MathWorld|urlname=PSOSAlgorithm|title=PSOS Algorithm]
*The HJLS algorithm, developed by Ferguson and David Bailey in 1992. [MathWorld|urlname=HJLSAlgorithm|title=HJLS Algorithm]
*The PSLQ algorithm, also developed by Ferguson and Bailey in 1992 and substantially simplified by Ferguson, Bailey, and Arno in 1999. [MathWorld|urlname=PSLQAlgorithm|title=PSLQ Algorithm] [ [http://crd.lbl.gov/~dhbailey/dhbpapers/pslq.pdf "A Polynomial Time, Numerically Stable Integer Relation Algorithm"] by Helaman R. P. Ferguson andDavid H. Bailey ; RNR Technical Report RNR-91-032; July 14, 1992]In 2000 the PSLQ algorithm was selected as one of the "Top Ten Algorithms of the Century" by
Jack Dongarra and Francis Sullivan. [ [http://amath.colorado.edu/resources/archive/topten.pdf "The Best of the 20th Century: Editors Name Top 10 Algorithms"] by Barry A. Cipra; SIAM News, Volume 33, Number 4]Applications
Integer relation algorithms have two main applications. The first application is to determine whether a given real number "x" is likely to be algebraic, by searching for an integer relation between a set of powers of "x" {1, "x", "x"2, ..., "x""n"}. The second application is to search for an integer relation between a real number "x" and a set of mathematical constants such as "e", π and ln(2), which will lead to an expression for "x" as a linear combination of these constants.
A typical approach in
experimental mathematics is to usenumerical method s andarbitrary precision arithmetic to find an approximate value for an infinite series,infinite product or anintegral to a high degree of precision (usually at least 100 significant figures), and then use an integer relation algorithm to search for an integer relation between this value and a set of mathematical constants. If an integer relation is found, this suggests a possibleclosed-form expression for the original series, product or integral. This conjecture can then be validated by formal algebraic methods. The higher the precision to which the inputs to the algorithm are known, the greater the level of confidence that any integer relation that is found is not just a numerical artifact.A notable success of this approach was the use of the PSLQ algorithm to find the integer relation that led to the
Bailey-Borwein-Plouffe formula for the value of π.Integer relation algorithms are combined with tables of high precision mathematical constants and heuristic search methods in applications such as the
Inverse Symbolic Calculator orPlouffe's Inverter .References
External links
* [http://oldweb.cecm.sfu.ca/organics/papers/bailey/paper/html/paper.html "Recognizing Numerical Constants"] by
David H. Bailey andSimon Plouffe
* [http://crd.lbl.gov/~dhbailey/dhbpapers/tenproblems.pdf "Ten Problems in Experimental Mathematics"] byDavid H. Bailey , Jonathan M. Borwein, Vishaal Kapoor, andEric W. Weisstein
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