$1/4$ is in the Cantor set?

Question

I would like to know if $1/4$ is in the Cantor set, I tried a lot without success, I need some hint or help how to proceed in this case. Maybe there is some tool or trick I can use.

Thanks a lot

Answer 1

$1/4$ is in the Cantor set. It is in the lower third. And it is in the upper third of the lower third. And in the lower third of that, and in the upper third of that, and so on.

The quickest way to see this is that it is exactly $1/4$ of the way from $1/3$ down to $0$, and then use self-similarity and symmetry.

A more plodding way to show it is to look at the series $$ \frac29 + \frac{2}{9^2}+\frac{2}{9^3}+\cdots=\frac14. $$ This shows that the base-$3$ expansion of $1/4$ is $0.02020202\ldots$. Since it has a base-$3$ expansion with only $0$s and $2$s, it is in the Cantor set.

Answer 2

Hint: write $\frac{1}{4}$ in base $3$.

To do this, just observe that

$$\frac{1}{4}=\frac{2}{9-1}=\frac{2}{9}\frac{1}{1-\frac{1}{9}}$$

and write the geometric series which has that limit.

Answer 3

From the construction of the Cantor set using "deleted thirds", one sees that each of the numbers $$\textstyle a_1={1\over3},\ \ a_2={1\over3}-{1\over9},\ \ a_3={1\over3}-{1\over9}+{1\over27}, \ \ \ldots$$ is an element of the Cantor set.

Since the sequence $(a_k)$ is the sequence of partial sums of the convergent Geometric series $\sum\limits_{n=1}^\infty(-1)^{n+1} ({1\over3^n}) $, it follows that
$$\lim_{k\rightarrow\infty} a_k= \sum_{n=1}^\infty(-1)^{n+1} ({\textstyle{1\over3^n})}= -\sum_{n=1}^\infty (\textstyle{-1\over3})^n=(-1)\cdot{-1/3\over 1-(-1/3)} ={1/4}.$$

Now, the Cantor set is closed; and, since the Cantor set contains each $a_k$, it must contain the limit of $(a_k)$. Thus, the Cantor set contains the point $1/4$.

(This argument shouldn't seem so mysterious if you determine where $1/4$ lies in relation to the $a_k$; see the first paragraph of Michael Hardy's answer.)