Non-zero digits in the expansion of irrational algebraic numbers in an integer base (Q664910): Difference between revisions

Let \(x\in[0,1]\) be algebraic and \(b\geq2\) be a positive integer. We denote by \[ (x)_b=x_{-r}x_{-r+1}\cdots x_0\bullet x_1x_2\ldots \] the \(b\)-ary representation with \(x_i\in\{0,\ldots,b-1\}\). The authors of the present paper consider the number of digits \(x_i\) which are not zero. In particular, let \(\mathcal{P}(x,b,N)\) denote the number of non-zero digits among the first \(N\) digits of the expansion of \(x\), i.e. \[ \mathcal{P}(x,b,N):=\#\left\{1\leq i\leq N: x_i\neq0\right\}. \] We set \(\alpha=x-\left\lfloor x\right\rfloor+1\), where \(\left\lfloor x\right\rfloor\) denotes the integer part of \(x\). Let \(P(X)=A_dX^d+\cdots+A_1X+A_0\in\mathbb{Z}[X]\) be the minimal polynome of \(\alpha\) and let \(H=\max\left\{\left| A_i\right|:0\leq i\leq d\right\}\) be the trivial heigth of \(\alpha\). In a recent paper \textit{D. H. Bailey} et al. [Théor. Nombres Bordx. 16, No. 3, 487--518 (2004; Zbl 1076.11045)] have shown that for given \(\varepsilon>0\) the lower bound \(\mathcal{P}(x,2,N)>((2+\varepsilon)A_D)^{-1/d}N^{1/d}\) holds for sufficiently large \(N\). The authors of the present paper have generalized this result to an arbitrary base. In particular, they prove that given \(\varepsilon\in[0,1/2]\) there exists an explicitely given constant \(C\) (depending on \(\varepsilon\), the degree and the height of \(\alpha\)) such that \(\mathcal{P}(x,b,N)>CN^{1/d}\), for sufficiently large \(N\).