Skip to Main Content

Mathematics of Computation

Published by the American Mathematical Society since 1960 (published as Mathematical Tables and other Aids to Computation 1943-1959), Mathematics of Computation is devoted to research articles of the highest quality in computational mathematics.

ISSN 1088-6842 (online) ISSN 0025-5718 (print)

The 2020 MCQ for Mathematics of Computation is 1.78.

What is MCQ? The Mathematical Citation Quotient (MCQ) measures journal impact by looking at citations over a five-year period. Subscribers to MathSciNet may click through for more detailed information.

 

Statistical study of digits of some square roots of integers in various bases
HTML articles powered by AMS MathViewer

by W. A. Beyer, N. Metropolis and J. R. Neergaard PDF
Math. Comp. 24 (1970), 455-473 Request permission

Corrigendum: Math. Comp. 25 (1971), 409.
Corrigendum: Math. Comp. 25 (1971), 409.

Abstract:

Some statistical tests of randomness are made of the first 88062 binary digits (or equivalent in other bases) of $\surd n$ in various bases $b$, $2 \leqq n \leqq 15$ ($n$ square-free) with $b = 2,4,8,16$ and $n = 2,3,5$ with $b = 3,5,6,7$, and $10$. The statistical tests are the ${\chi ^2}$ test for cumulative frequency distribution of the digits, the lead test, and the gap test. The lead test is an examination of the distances over which the cumulative frequency of a digit exceeded its expected value. It is related to the arc sine law. The gap test (applied to the binary digits) consists of an examination of the distribution of runs of ones. The conclusion of the study is that no evidence of the lack of randomness or normality appears for the digits of the above mentioned $\surd n$ in the assigned bases $b$. It seems to be the first statistical study of the digits of any naturally occurring number in bases other than decimal or binary (octal).
References
Similar Articles
  • Retrieve articles in Mathematics of Computation with MSC: 62.70
  • Retrieve articles in all journals with MSC: 62.70
Additional Information
  • © Copyright 1970 American Mathematical Society
  • Journal: Math. Comp. 24 (1970), 455-473
  • MSC: Primary 62.70
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1090/S0025-5718-1970-0272129-1
  • MathSciNet review: 0272129