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A chaotic cousin of Conway’s recursive sequence. (English) Zbl 0959.05007

Summary: I introduce the recurrence \(D(n)= D(D(n-1))+ D(n- 1- D(n- 2))\), \(D(1)= D(2)= 1\), and study it by means of computer experiments. The definition of \(D(n)\) has some similarity to that of Conway’s sequence defined by \(a(n)= a(a(n- 1))+ a(n- a(n- 1))\), \(a(1)= a(2)= 1\). However, unlike the completely regular and predictable behaviour of \(a(n)\), the \(D\)-numbers exhibit chaotic patterns. In its statistical properties, the \(D\)-sequence shows striking similarities with Hofstadter’s \(Q(n)\)-sequence, given by \(Q(n)= Q(n- Q(n- 1))+ Q(n- Q(n- 2))\), \(Q(1)= Q(2)= 1\); see Douglas R. Hofstadter [Gödel, Escher, Bach: an eternal golden braid (1979; reprint 1981; Zbl 0457.03001)]. Compared to the Hofstadter sequence, \(D\) shows higher structural order. It is organized in well-defined “generations”, separated by smooth and predictable regions. The article is complemented by a study of two further recurrence relations with definitions similar to those of the \(Q\)-numbers. There is some evidence that the different sequences studied share a universality class.

MSC:

05A15 Exact enumeration problems, generating functions
11B83 Special sequences and polynomials
11B37 Recurrences

Citations:

Zbl 0457.03001

References:

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