OFFSET
0,1
COMMENTS
Word W over alphabet L is an instance of "aba" provided there exists a nonerasing monoid homomorphism f:{a,b}*->L* such that f(W)=aba. For example "oompaloompa" is an instance of "aba" via the homomorphism defined by f(a)=oompa, f(b)=l. For a proof of the formula or more information on Zimin words, see Rorabaugh (2015).
The second definition comes from a Comment in A094536: "The probability that a random, infinite binary string begins with an even-length palindrome is: lim n -> infinity a(n)/2^n ~ 0.7322131597821108... . - Peter Kagey, Jan 26 2015"
Also, the limit, as word-length approaches infinity, of the probability that a random binary word has a bifix; that is, 1-x where x is the constant from A242430. - Danny Rorabaugh, Feb 13 2016
LINKS
Danny Rorabaugh, Table of n, a(n) for n = 0..1000
Danny Rorabaugh, Toward the Combinatorial Limit Theory of Free Words, arXiv:1509.04372 [math.CO], 2015, University of South Carolina, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing (2015). See section 5.1.
FORMULA
The constant is Sum_{n>=0} A003000(n)*(1/4)^n.
Using the recursive definition of A003000, one can derive the series Sum_{j>=0} 2*(-1)^j*(1/4)^(2^j)/(Product_{k=0..j} 1-2*(1/4)^(2^k)), which converges more quickly to the same limit and without having to calculate terms of A003000.
For ternary words, the constant is Sum_{n>=0} A019308(n)*(1/9)^n.
For quaternary words, the constant is Sum_{n>=0} A019309(n)*(1/16)^n.
EXAMPLE
0.7322131597821108876233285964156974474449401020065154679236881114887...
PROG
(Sage) N(sum([2*(1/4)^(2^j)*(-1)^j/prod([1-2*(1/4)^(2^k) for k in range(j+1)]) for j in range(8)]), digits=81) #For more than 152 digits of accuracy, increase the j-range.
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn,cons
AUTHOR
Danny Rorabaugh, Sep 17 2015
STATUS
approved