Questions tagged [power-towers]

For questions pertaining to power towers: expressions like a^(b^(c^d))), which result from iterated exponentiation. The "hyperoperation" tag may be appropriate, too.

Power towers are obtained by iterated exponentiation; an archetypal example is:

$\large a^{b^{c^d}}$

Power towers have been studied a lot; there is particularly many information on:

  • Modular arithmetic with power towers;
  • Convergence of "infinite" power towers; for example: $$\large\sqrt2^{\sqrt2^{\sqrt2^{\cdots}}} = 2$$

If we have a (finite) power tower with the same number repeated, such as the one with $\sqrt 2$ above, we speak of tetration. Tetration is the fourth hyperoperation, so if applicable, also include the tag.

232 questions
10
votes
2 answers

If $x^{x^4}=4$, then what is the value of $x^{x^2}+x^{x^8}$?

If $x^{x^4}=4$, then what is the value of $x^{x^2}+x^{x^8}$? I tried to simplify it using exponentiation and logs, and even just algebraic manipulation..But I don't know how to do this.
5
votes
1 answer

Determine the smallest positive integer $ m $ for which $\underbrace{100^{100^{\ldots^{100}}}}_m>\underbrace{3^{3^{\ldots^3}}}_{100}$

The functions $ f $ and $ g $ are defined by $ f (x) = 3 ^ x $ and $ g (x) = 100 ^ x $. Two sequences $ a_1, a_2, a_3, \ldots$ and $ b_1, b_2, b_3, \ldots $ are then defined as follows: (i) $ a_1 = 3 $ and $ a_ {n + 1} = f (a_n) $ for $ n \geq 1…
5
votes
1 answer

How find the number of zeros at the end of the sum $4^{5^6}+6^{5^4}$?

The problem is to find the number of zeros at the end of the sum $4^{5^6}+6^{5^4}$. I tried $2^{2 \cdot 5^6}+3^{5^4} \cdot 2^{5^4}= 2^{5^4} \cdot ( 2^{2 \cdot 5^6 -5^4}+ 3^{5^4} )$.
piteer
  • 6,310
3
votes
2 answers

Power tower question

$$x^{x^{x^{.^{.^{.}}}}} = 8$$ Then how to solve for x? I first tried like this $x^8=8$ but I don't get any way to solve.
Fawad
  • 2,034
3
votes
2 answers

If $x^{x^{x^{16}}}=16$ calculate the value of $x^{x^{x^{12}}}$

I have done the following but I'not satisfied. if $x^a=a$ then by substitution follows that $x^a=x^{x^a}=x^{x^{x^a}}$ etc. So $x^{x^{x^{16}}}=16$ is equivalent to $x^{16}=16$, and $x=2^{\frac{1}{4}}$ Substituting $x$ to $x^{x^{x^{12}}}$ returns…
Brani
  • 185
2
votes
1 answer

Evaluate $\frac{x^2}{y}$ where $x=a^{a^{a}}$ and $y=a^{a^{2a}}$

Evaluate $\frac{x^2}{y}$ where $x=a^{a^{a}}$ and $y=a^{a^{2a}}$ 1.$1$ 2.$x^{a^{a}}$ 3.$x^{1-a^a}$ 4.$x^{2-a^a}$ My solution: $x^2=a^{a^{a}}*a^{a^{a}}=a^{2a^{a}}$ $\frac{x^2}{y}=\frac{a^{2a^{a}}}{a^{a^{2a}}}=a^{2a^a-a^{2a}}=x^{2-a^a}$ I don't know…
Taha Akbari
  • 3,559
1
vote
2 answers

calculate value of $2^{3^{4^{5}}}/e^{10240}$

I am trying to calculate the value of $b=\dfrac{2^{3^{4^5}}}{e^{10240}}$. Is there any method to solve this efficiently?
1
vote
1 answer

Power tower modulus

I'm doing a programming challenge and I can't wrap my head around of finding an Euler totient when the modulus and the base aren't co-primes. So I have: $$4 ^ {4 ^ 4}(mod\;10)$$ I understand that 4 and 10 aren't co-primes. So I've tried to use mod…
CaseMon
  • 31
1
vote
0 answers

Comparison of power towers with different bases

If I define $T(c, k, r) = c^{c^{\cdot^{\cdot^{\cdot^{c^r}}}}}$ with $(k-1)$ $c$'s in the tower. I want to understand the asymptotic behaviour of towers with different values of $c$. I am specifically interested in whether say the behaviour of…
Robert S
  • 1,144
1
vote
0 answers

Partial Values for Knuth's Up-Arrows

$3 \uparrow 4 $ is $3^4$, and $3\uparrow \uparrow 3$ is $3^{3^{3^3}}$, etc. For those of you unfamiliar, here is a wiki page on the notation. Clearly, up-arrow expressions, as they are usually defined, only have meaning when the number of arrows…
0
votes
1 answer

Precedence or powers - Is there more than one way

I'm developing a calculator and I've encountered this issue: 2222 which power should be calculated first, is there a way this could be solved from the left to the right, meaning 422 and so on.... I believe that it's wrong, and you should start from…
user11171
  • 103
0
votes
1 answer

Differentiation equations with a power tower

I'm given that $$ x^{{mx}^{mx}...} = y^{{my}^{my}...}$$ I should find $ \frac {dy}{dx} $. How do I start? Is there any way to simplify this? For example, do the extra exponents stop mattering after some point (in the same, can we say something…
WorldGov
  • 947
0
votes
6 answers

Why is $2^{2^{2^n}}$ not equal to $16^n$?

Why is $a^{b^{c^d}}$ not equal to ${(a^{b^c})}^d$ (for positive n)? For example, WolframAlpha seems to say that $2^{2^{2^n}}$ is not equal to $16^n$.
penalosa
  • 139
0
votes
3 answers

(Square root of 2) power (square root of 2) power...

The problem is to calculate $A$: $$ A = \sqrt{2}^{\sqrt{2}^{\sqrt{2}^{\dots}}} $$ Here, each term (except the first and second) is a power of the previous power. I applied my usual method: $$ A = \sqrt{2}^A $$ However, this seems incorrect because…