OFFSET
1,2
COMMENTS
Using the set of symbols {1, +, !} and parentheses, how many 1's does it take to represent n? "!!" is double factorial, "!!!" is triple factorial and so forth.
lim inf = 3, lim sup = infinity. What is the average behavior of this sequence? - Charles R Greathouse IV, Jun 15 2012
LINKS
Ed Pegg, Jr., Integer Complexity
Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics, Multifactorial.
EXAMPLE
a(1) = 1 because there is one 1 in "1".
a(2) = 2 because "1 + 1".
a(6) = 3 because "(1+1+1)!".
a(7) = 4 because "(1+1+1)!+1".
a(8) = 4 because "(1+1+1+1)!!" using double factorial.
a(12) = 3 because "((1+1+1)!)!!!!" using quadruple factorial.
a(15) = 5 because "(1+1+1+1+1)!!" using double factorial.
a(16) = 4 because "((1+1+1+1)!!)!!!!!!" using double factorial and sextuple factorial.
a(24) = 3 because "(((1+1+1)!)!!!!)!!!!!!!!!!" using quadruple factorial and decuple factorial.
a(36) = 3 because "(((1+1+1)!)!!!!)!!!!!!!!!" using quadruple factorial and nonuple factorial.
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
Jonathan Vos Post, Apr 06 2006
STATUS
approved