1,1

Suppose that x > 0. A fraction p/q of primes is a primes-only best approximate (POBA), and we write "p/q in B(x)", if 0 < |x - p/q| < |x - u/v| for all primes u and v such that v < q, and also, |x - p/q| < |x - p'/q| for every prime p' except p. Note that for some choices of x, there are values of q for which there are two POBAs. In these cases, the greater is placed first; e.g., B(3) = (7/2, 5/2, 17/5, 13/5, 23/7, 19/7, ...). See A265759 for a guide to related sequences.

The POBAs for 3/2 start with 2/2, 5/3, 7/5, 11/7, 17/11, 19/13, 29/19, 43/29, 47/31. For example, if p and q are primes and q > 13, then 19/13 is closer to 3/2 than p/q is.

x = 3/2; z = 200; p[k_] := p[k] = Prime[k];

t = Table[Max[Table[NextPrime[x*p[k], -1]/p[k], {k, 1, n}]], {n, 1, z}];

d = DeleteDuplicates[t]; tL = Select[d, # > 0 &] (* lower POBA *)

t = Table[Min[Table[NextPrime[x*p[k]]/p[k], {k, 1, n}]], {n, 1, z}];

d = DeleteDuplicates[t]; tU = Select[d, # > 0 &] (* upper POBA *)

v = Sort[Union[tL, tU], Abs[#1 - x] > Abs[#2 - x] &];

b = Denominator[v]; s = Select[Range[Length[b]], b[[#]] == Min[Drop[b, # - 1]] &];

y = Table[v[[s[[n]]]], {n, 1, Length[s]}] (* POBA, A265761/A222565 *)

Numerator[tL] (* A104163 *)

Denominator[tL] (* A158708 *)

Numerator[tU] (* A162336 *)

Denominator[tU] (* A158709 *)

Numerator[y] (* A265761 *)

Denominator[y] (* A222565 *)

Cf. A000040, A104163, A158708, A158709, A162336, A222565.

Sequence in context: A386321 A386343 A386341 * A386340 A023213 A162575

Adjacent sequences: A265758 A265759 A265760 * A265762 A265763 A265764

nonn,frac

Clark Kimberling, Dec 18 2015

approved