A remark on Ford circles (Q1057304): Difference between revisions

For each reduced fraction \(p/q\) denote by \(C(p,q)\) the Ford-circle, i.e. the circle in the Euclidean plane with center \((p/q,1/2q^2)\) and radius \(1/2q^2\). Two Ford-circles \(C(p,q)\) and \(C(p',q')\) are disjoint and are tangent to each other iff \(p/q\) and \(p'/q'\) are successive members of a suitable Farey-sequence \(F_n\). In this case the tangent point of \(C(p,q)\) and \(C(p',q')\) and the points \((p/q,0)\) and \((p'/q',0)\) form a right-angled triangle. For \(F'_n = F_n\cap [0,1]\) denote by \(L_n\) the length of the polygonal line from \((0,0)\) to \((1,0)\) consisting of the legs of these triangles and by \(H_n\) the length of the path consisting of the corresponding arcs. \textit{G. J. Rieger} [Arch. Math. 37, 235--240 (1981; Zbl 0475.10012)] showed the existence of \(\lim L_n\) and \(\lim H_n\) with error terms \(O((\log^2n)/n)\). \textit{M. Ishibashi}, \textit{S. Kanemitsu} and \textit{W. G. Nowak} [Arch. Math. 42, 145--150 (1984; Zbl 0519.10011)] improved the error terms to \(O(1/n)\). In the present paper we obtain the sharper estimate \(O((1/n) \exp(-c \log^{\beta}n))\) with \(\beta<3/5\) and \(c>0\).