Generalizing the arithmatic geometric mean — a hapless computer experiment

Abstract

The paper discusses the asymptotic behavior of generalizations of the Gauss's arithmetic-geometric mean, associated with the names Meissel (1875) and Borchardt (1876). The ”hapless computer experiment” in the title refers to the fact that the author at an earlier stage thought that one had genuine asymptotic formulae but it is now shown that in general ”fluctuations” are present. However, no very conclusive results are obtained so the paper ends in a conjecture concerning the special rôle of the algorithms of Gauss and Borchardt. The paper discusses the asymptotic behavior of generalizations of the Gauss's arithmetic-geometric mean, associated with the names Meissel (1875) and Borchardt (1876). The ”hapless computer experiment” in the title refers to the fact that the author at an earlier stage thought that one had genuine asymptotic formulae but it is now shown that in general ”fluctuations” are present. However, no very conclusive results are obtained so the paper ends in a conjecture concerning the special rôle of the algorithms of Gauss and Borchardt.