Loader's number

Loader's number is the output of loader.c, a program by Ralph Loader that came in first place for the Bignum Bakeoff contest, whose objective was to write a C program (in 512 characters or less) that generates the largest possible output on a theoretical machine with infinite memory. It is among the largest numbers ever devised.

The program diagonalizes over the Huet-Coquand. Its output, affectionately nicknamed Loader's number, is defined as \(D^5(99)\), where \(D(k)\) is the sum of all possible bit strings described by the first k expressions of the calculus of constructions (encoding everything as binary numbers).

David Moews has shown that \(D(99)\) is larger than \(2↑↑30419\) (where ↑↑ is tetration), and that even \(D^2(99)\) would be much larger than \(f_{\varepsilon_0+\omega^3}(1000000)\) of the fast-growing hierarchy, using Cantor's definition of fundamental sequences. Since it is the upper bound for the output of Marxen.c, then \(D^2(99)\) is much larger than this.

The final output of \(D^5(99)\) is much larger than TREE(3), SCG(13), or (say) BH(9). It is probably overpowered by finite promise games and greedy clique sequences. Loader's function is computable, so \(\Sigma(n) > D^5(99)\) for relatively small n, say, n = 100. C mathematics examples

Code

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 * 3) define L L (
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