  A large fraction of the observed brown dwarfs may form by gravitational
fragmentation of unstable discs. This model reproduces the brown dwarf desert,
and provides an explanation the existence of planetary-mass objects and for the
binary properties of low-mass objects. We have performed an ensemble of
radiative hydrodynamic simulations and determined the statistical properties of
the low-mass objects produced by gravitational fragmentation of discs. We
suggest that there is a population of brown dwarfs loosely bound on wide orbits
(100-5000 AU) around Sun-like stars that surveys of brown dwarf companions
should target. Our simulations also indicate that planetary-mass companions to
Sun-like stars are unlikely to form by disc fragmentation.
