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A001856
A self-generating sequence: every positive integer occurs as a(i)-a(j) for a unique pair i,j.
(Formerly M1112 N0425)
4
1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 21, 42, 51, 102, 112, 224, 235, 470, 486, 972, 990, 1980, 2002, 4004, 4027, 8054, 8078, 16156, 16181, 32362, 32389, 64778, 64806, 129612, 129641, 259282, 259313, 518626, 518658, 1037316, 1037349, 2074698, 2074734, 4149468
OFFSET
1,2
COMMENTS
This is a B_2 sequence. More economical recursion: a(1)=1, a(2n)=2a(2n-1), a(2n+1)=a(2n)+r(n), where r(n) is the smallest positive integer not of the form a(j)-a(i) with 1<=i<j<=2n; gives the sequence: 1, 2, 4, 8, 13, 26, 34, ... which also grows exponentially. Effective optimization of this method, giving a sequence of polynomial growth, is proposed in A247556. - Thomas Ordowski, Sep 28 2014
REFERENCES
R. K. Guy, Unsolved Problems in Number Theory, E25.
W. Sierpiński, Elementary Theory of Numbers. Państ. Wydaw. Nauk., Warsaw, 1964, p. 444.
N. J. A. Sloane, A Handbook of Integer Sequences, Academic Press, 1973 (includes this sequence).
N. J. A. Sloane and Simon Plouffe, The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, Academic Press, 1995 (includes this sequence).
LINKS
R. L. Graham, Problem E1910, Amer. Math. Monthly, 73 (1966), 775.
R. K. Guy, The Second Strong Law of Small Numbers, Math. Mag, 63 (1990), no. 1, 3-20.
R. K. Guy, The Second Strong Law of Small Numbers, Math. Mag, 63 (1990), no. 1, 3-20. [Annotated scanned copy]
R. K. Guy and N. J. A. Sloane, Correspondence, 1988.
M. Hall, Cyclic projective planes, Duke Math. J., 4 (1947), 1079-1090.
C. B. A. Peck, Remark on Problem E1910, Amer. Math. Monthly, 75 (1968), 80-81.
W. Sierpiński, Elementary Theory of Numbers, Warszawa 1964.
N. J. A. Sloane, Handwritten notes on Self-Generating Sequences, 1970 (note that A1148 has now become A005282)
FORMULA
a(1)=1, a(2)=2, a(2n+1) = 2a(2n), a(2n+2) = a(2n+1) + r(n), where r(n) = smallest positive number not of form a(j) - a(i) with 1 <= i < j <= 2n+1.
MATHEMATICA
a[1] = 1; a[2] = 2; a[n_?OddQ] := a[n] = 2*a[n-1]; a[n_?EvenQ] := a[n] = a[n-1] + r[(n-2)/2]; r[n_] := ( diff = Table[a[j] - a[i], {i, 1, 2*n+1}, {j, i+1, 2*n+1}] // Flatten // Union; max = diff // Last; notDiff = Complement[Range[max], diff]; If[notDiff == {}, max+1, notDiff // First]); Table[a[n], {n, 1, 39}] (* Jean-François Alcover, Dec 31 2012 *)
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn,easy,nice
EXTENSIONS
More terms from Larry Reeves (larryr(AT)acm.org), Sep 14 2000
STATUS
approved