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The initial problem I want to solve, says that:

$$2^k >\frac{3^n}{2^n} \Rightarrow 2^k > \frac{3^n-\frac{1}{2}}{2^n-\frac{1}{2}} $$

for $k$, $n$ positive integers.

A more special case to be proven:

Both $\dfrac{3^n}{2^n}$ and $\dfrac{3^n-1/2}{2^n-1/2}$ have the same ceiling function, so that the first statement is true.

If you have any idea, on how to prove any of these two statements, I would be glad to hear. I suggest that this might be an open problem, that is extremely hard to be proven (or I am just missing something).

  • At the moment I've no precise evaluation, but seeing the left expression being $2^k$ this reminds me of the proof of R. Steiner for the non-existence of the Collatz 1-cycle (but which I still have difficulties to reproduce explicitely) . It is a bit different from that to relate some fraction to the next integer, putting one more weight on it (being a perfect power of $2$). The Steiner-proof has often been used and the result been cited, see the link to the J. Simons-article in wikipedias Collatz-problem entry. – Gottfried Helms Oct 23 '17 at 05:52
  • Let $s = k+n$ such that the first inequality can be written as $2^s>3^n$ where $s$ is such that $2^s$ is the next perfect power above $3^n$, then the second equation expands to $2^s -1/2(2^k-1) > 3^n$ and I think the Steiner proof says that in such cases $(s,k,n)$ we have that even $2^s -1(2^k-1) > 3^n$ for sufficient value of $n$ - so your second inequality would be included in the Steiner's estimate for the inequality. – Gottfried Helms Oct 23 '17 at 06:11
  • See my answer at https://mathoverflow.net/a/280280/7710 The number $0.577^n$ for the estimate of the difference to the next floor/ceiling seems sufficient also for your case here. – Gottfried Helms Oct 23 '17 at 06:22

2 Answers2

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Reformulating your second question concerning the distance of the fraction $f(n)={3^n-0.5\over2^n-0.5}$ to the next integer in terms of $g(n)=(3/2)^n$ shows first that $$ f(n) = g(n) + \frac12 (3/4)^n - \varepsilon_n $$ where $\varepsilon_n < \frac12(3/4)^n $

Then [including also the floor-expression into an inequality] we can write $$ \left[ \lfloor g(n) \rfloor < \right] \qquad \qquad g(n) < f(n)<g(n)+(3/4)^n$$ The Waring-conjecture says now $$g(n)+(3/4)^n < \lceil g(n) \rceil $$ Assuming the truth of the Waring-conjecture, your function $f(x)$ is then smaller than the next integer because $g(n)< f(n) < g(n) + (3/4)^n$ .

Unfortunately the Waring-conjecture is not yet proven, and the best proven bound known so far is that $g(n)+0.577^n \lt \lceil g(n) \rceil $ so your second question belong to a "still open problem".


The first question can be related to the problem whether with the function $h(n,m)={m3^n-1\over m2^n-1} $ we have for all $n>1$,$m \ge 1$ with some suitable integer $b$ always $$ 2^{k-1} \lt h(n,m) \lt 2^k $$
Here we have a proof of Ray Steiner (1977) where he was looking for cases where $h(n,m)=2^k$ for making a cycle in the Collatz-problem possible, that this equality never occurs for $n>2$,$m>1$, cited and paraphrased in some literature about the collatz-problem, for instance by John Simons (2000,2002). Your question would ask for $h(n,m)$ with $m=2$ and this case is included in the Steiner-proof.

Update: Since in your comment you mention that this question stems from studies of the Collatz-problem, I've tried to put things together as far as I've understood them and provide a proof for the noexistence of 1-cycles which is intended to be more readable than even the latest version of J. Simons' article. See at my homepage
Update 2:
To solve the first question we assume that with $S=k+N$ we have a value in $k$ such that $2^S>3^N$ .
Then we rewrite $$ \large \begin{array}{rll} 2^k &\overset?>& { 3^N-1/2\over 2^N-1/2} \\ { 2^S \over 3^N} &\overset?>& {1 -1/2/3^N \over 1-1/2/2^N} \\ \end{array}$$ and logarithmize $$\begin{array}{rll} S \log 2 - N \log 3 &\overset?>& \log(1 -1/2/3^N ) - \log(1-1/2/2^N) \\ \end{array} \tag 1$$

By G. Rhin (cited by J.Simons) we know that $$ S \log 2 - N \log 3 > { 1 \over 457 \cdot N^{13.3} } \tag 2$$ Now we compare the rhs of (2) with the rhs of (1). Of course, if rhs of (1) is smaller than rhs of (2) then the inequality (1) is also true.
$$ { 1 \over 457 \cdot N^{13.3} } \overset?>\log(1 -1/2/3^N ) - \log(1-1/2/2^N) $$ The logarithms in the rhs expand to series with quickly vanishing terms of order of geometric decrease: $$ { 1 \over 457 \cdot N^{13.3} } \overset?> (1/2/2^N) - (1/2/3^N) + (1/2/2^N)^2/2 - (1/2/3^N)^2/2 + ... + \varepsilon \tag 3 \\ $$ and we see, that in the rhs the size diminuishes exponentially with $N$ while on the lhs only polynomially in $N$ (to power of $13.3$) Thus there shall be one crossover-point in $N$ after which the rhs shall always be smaller than the rhs.

If we simply test numerically small $N$ from $1$ to $100$ we find for $N=96$ by comparision $$N=96: \text{lhs=} 9.45967902141 E-30 > 6.31088724177 E-30 \text{=rhs}$$ and we can complete the inequality $$ S \log 2 - N \log 2 > \frac 1{457} \frac 1{N^{13.3}} > \log(1-1/2/2^N) - \log(1-1/2/3^N) \qquad \text{for }N \ge 96\tag 4 $$ This implies for $N \ge 96$ $$ \implies {2^S \over 3^N } > {1-1/2/3^N \over 1-1/2/2^N } \qquad \qquad \text{for }N \ge 96$$ and $$ \implies 2^k > {3^N-1/2 \over 2^N-1/2 } \qquad \qquad \text{for }N \ge 96 \tag 5 $$ Checking the remaining $94$ choices for $N<96$ directly completes then the proof for the full range of $N$. One should not forget to mention: this is based on the result of G. Rhin in 1984 (see the reference in the article of J. Simons).

  • Thank you ver much for your answer, it was really helpful. Indeed, my initial problem came up from searching about Collatz. Though, I cannot find anywhere on the Internet, a paper which refers either to my statement or to your function, validating that the problem is correct. It would be great, if you could cite any reference or link that included a clear statement of the above (the proof of it is not of first priority to be included), in order to ensure its correcteness and to be able to use it as my reference. – Άγγελος Κρατημένος Oct 24 '17 at 21:50
  • $ \text{JOHN L. SIMONS }\ \text{ON THE NONEXISTENCE OF 2 -CYCLES FOR THE 3 x + 1 PROBLEM}\ \text{MATHEMATICS OF COMPUTATION }\ \text{Volume 74, Number 251, Pages 1565–1572 }\ \text{Article electronically published on December 8, 2004 }\ $ ..............................
    If you cannot find some version of this email me for a copy. Parts of the proof were difficult to read for me, but someone with standard math training should chew it easily. Unfortunately the R. Steiner article (see reference in wikipedia) is nowhere in the web
    – Gottfried Helms Oct 25 '17 at 00:26
  • @Άγγελος'Κ. - for my own exercise I tried to put together a disproof in the style of J. Simons, perhaps better readable. Perhaps you like this/ this helps more, see link in my updated answer. – Gottfried Helms Oct 27 '17 at 10:36
  • It really seems like a wonderful work, which I didn't have the time to look in detail, right now but I will,very soon. What I still cannot see, is where it is referred specifically that the inequality I am asking, is true. Maybe I am missing something or haven't read the proof in depth, but I want to be sure that my first statement, is absolutely true and has been proven.

    PS. We can, anytime you'd like, continue our converstation through an email or something. Thank you for your time, and sorry for my English.

    – Άγγελος Κρατημένος Oct 28 '17 at 14:35
  • @Άγγελος'Κ. : see my update 2. I hope it is correct so far and also comprehensible. – Gottfried Helms Oct 28 '17 at 16:17
  • Your update made everything clear, and a reference has been added up. I'd like to ask one more question, as I can see you have been involved with the Collatz Conjecture. I've tried to upload my paper (possible proof) on arxiv, where I've been given publishing rights, and they rejected it, saying that my "paper would benefit from review from a journal". What should be my next step, then? I doubt that if I send my paper on a journal, they will read it, and if that's the only (or best) solution, what journal would you recommend. Thank you for your time, again. – Άγγελος Κρατημένος Oct 31 '17 at 21:27
  • @ΆγγελοςΚρατημένος - oh sorry, I've never tried to send something of mine to a journal or arxiv; I'm a complete amateur and didn't know how to brush up what I've collected (most of what I've done is heuristic, even if educated such). So - really sorry, I can't help here. But would you mind to send me a copy of your paper (for email see my profile) – Gottfried Helms Nov 01 '17 at 00:28
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This seems to be related to Waring's problem, where the integer and fractional parts of $(3/2)^k$ occur.

See, for example, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waring%27s_problem

marty cohen
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