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In fact, 1 ⁄ 2 is such an ε. Because the irrational numbers are dense in the reals, no matter what δ we choose we can always find an irrational z within δ of y, and f(z) = 0 is at least 1 ⁄ 2 away from 1. If y is irrational, then f(y) = 0.
Rational numbers have irrationality exponent 1, while (as a consequence of Dirichlet's approximation theorem) every irrational number has irrationality exponent at least 2. On the other hand, an application of Borel-Cantelli lemma shows that almost all numbers, including all algebraic irrational numbers , have an irrationality exponent exactly ...
This shows that any irrational number has irrationality measure at least 2. The Thue–Siegel–Roth theorem says that, for algebraic irrational numbers, the exponent of 2 in the corollary to Dirichlet’s approximation theorem is the best we can do: such numbers cannot be approximated by any exponent greater than 2.
Dov Jarden gave a simple non-constructive proof that there exist two irrational numbers a and b, such that a b is rational: [28] [29] Consider √ 2 √ 2; if this is rational, then take a = b = √ 2. Otherwise, take a to be the irrational number √ 2 √ 2 and b = √ 2. Then a b = (√ 2 √ 2) √ 2 = √ 2 √ 2 · √ 2 = √ 2 2 = 2 ...
Farey sequences are very useful to find rational approximations of irrational numbers. [15] For example, the construction by Eliahou [16] of a lower bound on the length of non-trivial cycles in the 3x+1 process uses Farey sequences to calculate a continued fraction expansion of the number log 2 (3).
Proofs of the mathematical result that the rational number 22 / 7 is greater than π (pi) date back to antiquity. One of these proofs, more recently developed but requiring only elementary techniques from calculus, has attracted attention in modern mathematics due to its mathematical elegance and its connections to the theory of Diophantine approximations.
In mathematics, an irrational number is any real number that is not a rational number, i.e., one that cannot be written as a fraction a / b with a and b integers and b not zero. This is also known as being incommensurable, or without common measure. The irrational numbers are precisely those numbers whose expansion in any given base (decimal ...
A natural follow-up question one might ask is if there is a function which is continuous on the rational numbers and discontinuous on the irrational numbers. This turns out to be impossible. The set of discontinuities of any function must be an F σ set. If such a function existed, then the irrationals would be an F σ set.