MHB Find Formula for nth Term in Tuff Sequence

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wilmer
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Sequence
AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on finding a formula for the nth term of a sequence resembling Sloane's #A010551, with additional multiplication. Participants propose different formulas, with one suggesting a simpler approach using factorials based on the floor function of n divided by 3. Another participant acknowledges the validity of this simpler formula while humorously noting the complexity of their own contributions. The conversation highlights the collaborative effort to derive an effective formula for the sequence. Overall, the exchange showcases a mix of mathematical exploration and friendly banter among contributors.
Wilmer
Messages
303
Reaction score
0
This sequence is similar to Sloane's #A010551; one further multiplication is made...
Code:
n= 0  1  2  3  4  5  6   7   8    9   10    11     12
   1  1  1  1  2  4  8  24  72  216  864  3456  13824...
Find a formula for the nth term.
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
Wilmer said:
This sequence is similar to Sloane's #A010551; one further multiplication is made...
Code:
n= 0  1  2  3  4  5  6   7   8    9   10    11     12
   1  1  1  1  2  4  8  24  72  216  864  3456  13824...
Find a formula for the nth term.

This sequence is generated by:
$$a_n = \tau_n a_{n - 1} ~ \text{with} ~ a_0 = 1$$
Where $\tau_n$ is given by:
$$\tau_n = \begin{cases} 1 ~ ~ &\text{if} ~ 1 \leq n \leq 3 \\ 2 ~ ~ &\text{if} ~ 4 \leq n \leq 6 \\ 3 ~ ~ &\text{if} ~ 7 \leq n \leq 9 \\ &\cdots \end{cases}$$
It's easy to see that $\tau_{3n} = n$ and since every three elements 1, 2, 3, then 4, 5, 6, then 7, 8, 9, etc. are the same, we have $\tau_{3n - 2} = \tau_{3n - 1} = n$ and $\tau_{3n + 1} = \tau_{3n + 2} = n + 1$.
Now observe that:
$$a_{3n} = \tau_{3n} a_{3n - 1} = \tau_{3n} \tau_{3n - 1} a_{3n - 2} = \tau_{3n} \tau_{3n - 1} \tau_{3n - 2} a_{3(n - 1)} = n^3 a_{3(n - 1)}$$
So that by induction we have:
$$a_{3n} = (n!)^3$$
Then:
$$a_{3n + 1} = \tau_{3n + 1} a_{3n} = (n + 1) (n!)^3$$
And:
$$a_{3n + 2} = \tau_{3n + 2} a_{3n + 1} = \tau_{3n + 2} \tau_{3n + 1} a_{3n} = (n + 1)^2 (n!)^3$$
And so we can conclude:
$$a_n = \begin{cases} (m!)^3 ~ ~ &\text{if} ~ n = 3m \\ (m + 1) (m!)^3 ~ ~ &\text{if} ~ n = 3m + 1 \\ (m + 1)^2 (m!)^3 ~ ~ &\text{if} ~ n = 3m + 2 \end{cases}$$
Or, more directly:
$$a_n = \left ( \left \lfloor \frac{n}{3} \right \rfloor + 1 \right )^{n \bmod{3}} \left ( \left \lfloor \frac{n}{3} \right \rfloor ! \right)^3$$
I suppose this can be easily generalized to any similar $\tau_n$ sequence of the form 1, 1, $k$ times, 2, 2, $k$ times, etc.. but I haven't tried.​
 
Nice, Bac! Mine's simpler:

nth term = a * b * c, where:
a = [FLOOR(n/3)]!
b = [FLOOR((n+1)/3)]!
c = [FLOOR((n+2)/3)]!
 
Wilmer said:
Nice, Bac! Mine's simpler:

nth term = a * b * c, where:
a = [FLOOR(n/3)]!
b = [FLOOR((n+1)/3)]!
c = [FLOOR((n+2)/3)]!

Ah, yep, that works too. Not bad :)
 
Hi,

You ask for one formula, I bring you a non countable set of formulas :cool:

Let $c=(1,1,1,1,2,4,8,24,72,216,864,3456,13824,r)^{T}\in \Bbb{R}^{14}$ with $r\in \Bbb{R}$.

Define $A=\left(\begin{array}{ccccc}
1 & 0 & 0 & \ldots & 0\\
1^{0}& 1 & 1^{2} & \ldots & 1^{13}\\
2^{0}& 2 & 2^{2} & \ldots & 2^{13}\\
\vdots & \vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\
13^{0} & 13 & 13^{2}& \ldots & 13^{13}\end{array}\right)$

Call $b=(b_{0}, b_{1},\ldots , b_{13})^{T}\in \Bbb{R}^{14}$, the solution of the linear equations

$Ab=c$

And now consider the polynomial $p_{r}(x)=\displaystyle\sum_{i=0}^{13}b_{i}x^{i}$.

Then $p_{r}(0)=1, p_{r}(1)=1, \ldots , p_{r}(12)=13824, p_{r}(13)=r$.

And works for every $r\in \Bbb{R}$

The n-th term will be now $p_{r}(n)$
 
Seemingly by some mathematical coincidence, a hexagon of sides 2,2,7,7, 11, and 11 can be inscribed in a circle of radius 7. The other day I saw a math problem on line, which they said came from a Polish Olympiad, where you compute the length x of the 3rd side which is the same as the radius, so that the sides of length 2,x, and 11 are inscribed on the arc of a semi-circle. The law of cosines applied twice gives the answer for x of exactly 7, but the arithmetic is so complex that the...
Is it possible to arrange six pencils such that each one touches the other five? If so, how? This is an adaption of a Martin Gardner puzzle only I changed it from cigarettes to pencils and left out the clues because PF folks don’t need clues. From the book “My Best Mathematical and Logic Puzzles”. Dover, 1994.
Thread 'Imaginary Pythagoras'
I posted this in the Lame Math thread, but it's got me thinking. Is there any validity to this? Or is it really just a mathematical trick? Naively, I see that i2 + plus 12 does equal zero2. But does this have a meaning? I know one can treat the imaginary number line as just another axis like the reals, but does that mean this does represent a triangle in the complex plane with a hypotenuse of length zero? Ibix offered a rendering of the diagram using what I assume is matrix* notation...

Similar threads

Replies
3
Views
3K
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
4K
Replies
10
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
3K
Back
Top