Nth digit of PI

[Russell Wallace]

Clive Tooth wrote:
> 
> Russell Wallace wrote in message <394889C3.1ED5 at esatclear.ie>...
> >Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought memory was the limiting factor?
> >i.e. that a good algorithm on typical hardware can fill all the
> >available memory with digits of pi in a few days or so?
> 
> You are wrong. The discussion was about methods of calculating digit N of pi
> (in some base) without computing digits 1 thru N-1 . This can be done in
> about O(log(N)) bits of memory.

Yes, that's what I mean.  The O(log N) memory consumption would, it
seems to me, make it possible to reach far higher values of N than if
you had to calculate digits 1 thru N-1, even if the amount of
computation required isn't much different.

-- 
"To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem."
Russell Wallace
mailto:rwallace at esatclear.ie
http://www.esatclear.ie/~rwallace