OFFSET
1,2
COMMENTS
Corresponding areas are: 0, 12, 1848, 351780, 68149872, 13219419708, 2564481115560 (see A104009).
What is the next term? Is the sequence finite? The possible last two digits of "a" are (it may help in searching for more terms): {01, 05, 09, 15, 19, 25, 29, 33, 35, 39, 45, 49, 51, 55, 59, 65, 69, 75, 79, 83, 85, 89, 95, 99}.
Equivalently, positive integers a such that 3/16*a^4 + 1/4*a^3 - 1/8*a^2 - 1/4*a - 1/16 is a square (A000290), a direct result of Heron's formula. Conjecture: lim_{n->oo} a(n+1)/a(n) = 7 + 4*sqrt(3) (= 7 + A010502). - Rick L. Shepherd, Sep 04 2005
Values x^2 + y^2, where the pair (x, y) solves for x^2 - 3y^2=1, i.e., a(n)= (A001075(n))^2 + (A001353(n))^2 = A055793(n) + A098301(n). - Lekraj Beedassy, Jul 13 2006
Floretion Algebra Multiplication Program, FAMP Code: 1lestes[ 3'i - 2'j + 'k + 3i' - 2j' + k' - 4'ii' - 3'jj' + 4'kk' - 'ij' - 'ji' + 3'jk' + 3'kj' + 4e ]
LINKS
Christian Aebi, and Grant Cairns, Lattice Equable Parallelograms, arXiv:2006.07566 [math.NT], 2020.
Project Euler, Problem 94: Almost Equilateral Triangles.
Index entries for linear recurrences with constant coefficients, signature (15,-15,1).
FORMULA
Composite of comments from Alec Mihailovs (alec(AT)mihailovs.com) and David Terr, Mar 07 2005: (Start)
"a(n)^2 = A011922(n)^2 + (4*A007655(n))^2, so that A011922(n) = 1/2 base of triangles, A007655(n) = 1/4 height of triangles (conjectured by Paul Hanna).
Area is (a+1)/4*sqrt((3*a+1)*(a-1)). If a is even, the numerator is odd and the area is not an integer. That means a=2*k-1. In this case, Area=k*sqrt((3*k-1)*(k-1)).
Solving equation (3*k-1)*(k-1)=y^2, we get k=(2+sqrt(1+3*y^2))/3. That means that 1+3*y^2=x^2 with integer x and y. This is a Pell equation, all solutions of which have the form x=((2+sqrt(3))^n+(2-sqrt(3))^n)/2, y=((2+sqrt(3))^n-(2-sqrt(3))^n)/(2*sqrt(3)). Therefore k=(x+2)/3 is an integer only for even n. Then a=2*k-1=(2*x+1)/3 with even n. Q.E.D.
a(n)=(1/3)*((2+sqrt(3))^(2*n-2)+(2-sqrt(3))^(2*n-2)+1).
Recurrence: a(n+3)=15*a(n+2)-15*a(n+1)+a(n), a(0)=1, a(1)=5, a(2)=65.
G.f.: x*(1-10*x+5*x^2)/(1-15*x+15*x^2-x^3).
E.g.f.: 1/3*(exp(x)+exp((7+4*sqrt(3))*x)+exp((7-4*sqrt(3))*x)).
a(n) = 4U(n)^2 + 1, where U(1) = 0, U(2)=1 and U(n+1) = 4U(n) - U(n-1) for n>1. (U(n), V(n)) is the n-th solution to Pell's equation 3U(n)^2 + 1 = V(n)^2. (U(n) is the sequence A001353.)" (End)
a(n) = floor((7+4*sqrt(3))*a(n-1))-4, n>=3. - Rick L. Shepherd, Sep 04 2005
For n>=3, a(n) = 14*a(n-1) - a(n-2) - 4. It is one of 10 second-order linear recurrence sequences satisfying (a(n)*a(n-1)-1) * (a(n)*a(n+1)-1) = (a(n)+1)^4 and together forming A350916. - Max Alekseyev, Jan 22 2022
MAPLE
A:=rsolve({-A(n+3)+15*A(n+2)-15*A(n+1)+A(n), A(0) = 1, A(1) = 5, A(2)=65}, A(n), makeproc); # Mihailovs
MATHEMATICA
f[n_] := Simplify[((2 + Sqrt[3])^(2n) + (2 - Sqrt[3])^(2n) + 1)/3]; Table[ f[n], {n, 0, 16}] (* Or *)
a[1] = 1; a[2] = 5; a[3] = 65; a[n_] := a[n] = 15a[n - 1] - 15a[n - 2] + a[n - 3]; Table[ a[n], {n, 17}] (* Or *)
CoefficientList[ Series[(1 - 10x + 5x^2)/(1 - 15x + 15x^2 - x^3), {x, 0, 16}], x] (* Or *)
Range[0, 16]! CoefficientList[ Simplify[ Series[(E^x + E^((7 + 4Sqrt[3])x) + E^((7 - 4Sqrt[3])x))/3, {x, 0, 16}]], x] (* Robert G. Wilson v, Mar 24 2005 *)
PROG
(PARI) for(a=1, 10^6, b=a; c=a+1; s=(a+b+c)/2; if(issquare(s*(s-a)*(s-b)*(s-c)), print1(a, ", "))) /* Uses Heron's formula */ \\ Rick L. Shepherd, Sep 04 2005
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn,easy
AUTHOR
Zak Seidov, Feb 23 2005
EXTENSIONS
More terms from Creighton Dement, Apr 18 2005
Edited by Max Alekseyev, Jan 22 2022
STATUS
approved