probability that two positive integers are relatively prime
The probability that two positive integers chosen randomly arerelatively prime is
At first glance this “naked” result is beautiful, but nosuitable definition is there: there isn’t a probability spacedefined. Indeed, the word “probability” here is an abuse oflanguage.So, now, let’s write the mathematical statement.
For each , let be the set and define to be the powerset of . Define by . This makes into a probability space.
We wish to consider the event of some also beingin the set.The probability of this event is
Our statement is thus the following. For each ,select random integers and with .Then the limit exists and
In other words, as gets large, the fraction of consisting of relatively prime pairs of positive integers tends to .
References
- 1 Challenging Mathematical Problems with Elementary Solutions, A.M. Yaglom and I.M. Yaglom, Vol. 1, Holden-Day, 1964. (See Problems 92 and 93)