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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!sbcs!debray
From: debray@sbcs.UUCP (Saumya Debray)
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: deceptive problem: cont'd
Message-ID: <549@sbcs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 12-Dec-83 12:59:32 EST
Article-I.D.: sbcs.549
Posted: Mon Dec 12 12:59:32 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 14-Dec-83 02:35:53 EST
Organization: SUNY at Stony Brook
Lines: 42

A followup to the "deceptive problem" posted from Dartmouth College (I
forget the submitter's name, I'm sorry):

I posted a solution to the equation "x^x = 2" of the form

	x = log 2 / (log (log 2 / (log (log 2 / ... )) )).

A solution of this form holds, in general, for equations of the form x^x = y
for y > 0.  Does anyone have a solution that will also hold for values of
y < 0 ? 
e.g.:
	x^x = y is satisfied by {x = -1/3, y = - 3^(1/3)}.  

-------------------

Saumya Debray
SUNY at Stony Brook

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------------------
P.S.: a couple of people have pointed out that I boo-boo'd in my previous
posting on this issue by claiming that "x^x = 2" was a polynomial of degree
x. I agree; my head hangs in shame!
-- 

Saumya Debray
SUNY at Stony Brook

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