%I #11 Jul 04 2013 13:11:30

%S 0,2,2,1,0,0,2,1,1,0,2,3,3,2,2,2,2,1,2,2,3,1,1,4,3,3,1,4,4,3,3,1,1,4,

%T 3,3,1,4,4,3,1,2,2,3,1,1,2,3,3,1,1,2,2,3,1,1,2,3,3,1,1,2,2,3,1,1,2,3,

%U 3,1,2,3,3,4,4,4,3,4,4,4,3,1,1,4,3,3,1,4,4,3,3,1,1,4,3,3,1,4,4,3,4,3,3,3,3

%N Let l(n) = number of letters in n, A005589(n). If l(n) = 4 set a(n) = 0; otherwise a(n) = a(l(n)) + 1.

%C Based on the observation by Diane Karloff (see A005589) that the trajectory of l always converges to 4.

%C The smallest n with a(n) = 6 is 1103323373373373373373373373373 (one nonillion one hundred and three octillion ...) which has 323 letters.

%H R. J. Mathar, <a href="/A133418/b133418.txt">Table of n, a(n) for n = 0..11999</a>

%H R. J. Mathar, <a href="/A133418/a133418.txt">Maple program to make b-file</a>

%e 5 has four letters so a(5) = 0. 3 has five letters so a(3) = a(5) + 1 = 1.

%Y A variant of A016037.

%K nonn,word,easy

%O 0,2

%A _N. J. A. Sloane_, Nov 27 2007