Expected value of the smallest denominator in a random interval of fixed radius

DOI10.1142/S1793042123500689zbMath1528.11061arXiv2109.12668OpenAlexW4321015059MaRDI QIDQ6107938

Alan K. Haynes, Huayang Chen

Publication date: 28 June 2023

Published in: International Journal of Number Theory (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We compute the probability mass function of the random variable which returns the smallest denominator of a reduced fraction in a randomly chosen real interval of radius $delta/2$. As an application, we prove that the expected value of the smallest denominator is asymptotic, as $delta ightarrow 0$, to $(16/pi^2)delta^{-1/2}.$

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.12668

zbMATH Keywords

Diophantine approximationFarey fractions

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Metric theory (11J83) Farey sequences; the sequences (1^k, 2^k, dots) (11B57)

Cites Work

• Unnamed Item
• Unnamed Item
• Unnamed Item
• Birkhoff averages and rotational invariant circles for area-preserving maps
• On the Distribution of Small Denominators in the Farey Series of Order N

Related Items (3)

Proof of a conjecture of Kruyswijk and Meijer on the smallest denominator of rational numbers of an interval ⋮ Rational numbers with small denominators in short intervals ⋮ Smallest denominators

This page was built for publication: Expected value of the smallest denominator in a random interval of fixed radius