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What's the "most efficient" way to encode that $\ln(2):\ln(3):\ln(5):\ln(7) \approx 171:271:397:480$ using $3$ approximations?

For example:

  • $((\frac{3^3}{5^2})^3)^3 \approx 2$ uses $3+2+3+3 = 11$ exponentiations and $3$ bases for a total "complexity" of $14$
  • $(((\frac{2^2}{3})^2)^2)^2 \approx 2\cdot5$ uses $2+2+2+2 = 8$ exponentiations and $4$ bases for a total "complexity" of $12$
  • $(7\cdot(\frac{3}{5})^2)^3\approx(2^2)^2$ uses $2+3+2+2 = 9$ exponentiations and $4$ bases for a total "complexity" of $13$

This encoding has a "complexity" of $39$. Can we prove this is optimal or does there exist a simpler encoding?

Feel free to redefine "complexity" in a better way to measure the simplicity of the approximations.

Motivation for this problem:

  • How good must the approximations be ? The better they must be , the more difficult it will be to find a chain as shown. – Peter Sep 28 '23 at 06:22
  • $$[52580897, 83338750, 122089062, 147613240, 5.4392282831001820933570655420058509678 E-12]$$ is a chain with high accuracy. I have found it out simply with brute force. – Peter Sep 28 '23 at 07:41
  • I'm not that interested in the set of 4 numbers, since there always exists a larger one that's better (analoguous to continued fractions for an irrational number which go on forever). I was talking about the specific set 171, 271, 397, 480. I think it's basically a linear algebra problem. We want the simplest set of 3 linear equations with solution (x, y, z) = (271/171, 397/171, 480/171). – Chinmay The Math Guy Sep 28 '23 at 16:19
  • 15 = 8 x + y, 5 + x + 2 y = 4 z, 1 + 7 x = 4 y + z is an example of 3 such equations. Intuitively, those 3 equations are "simpler" than 271 = 171x, 397 = 171y, 160 = 57z due to the smaller coefficients. There's definitely some way to formulate my question using matrices. I'm not that sure how to. – Chinmay The Math Guy Sep 28 '23 at 16:39
  • To bump this question:

    This video explores the idea of assigning a complexity to a number: https://youtu.be/RdnTi-2gahs?si=orFzD15kaINBSXbt

    My question is essentially along the lines of that

    – Chinmay The Math Guy May 27 '24 at 23:17

0 Answers0