Inventory Loops (i.e. Counting Sequences) have Pre-period $2\max S_1+60$
Number Theory
2020-04-02 v1 Combinatorics
History and Overview
Abstract
An Inventory Sequence is the iteration of the map defined roughly by taking an integer to its numericized description (e.g. since "" has two 's, one , and one ). Our work analyzes the iteration under the infinite base. Any starting value of positive digits is known to be ultimately periodic [1] (e.g. reaches the 1-cycle ). Parametrizations of all possible cycles are also known [2,3]. We answer Bronstein and Fraenkel's open question of 26 years showing the pre-period of any such starting value is no more than where . And oddly the period of the cycle can be determined after only iterations.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2004.00209,
title = {Inventory Loops (i.e. Counting Sequences) have Pre-period $2\max S_1+60$},
author = {Onno M. Cain and Sela T. Enin},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2004.00209},
year = {2020}
}
Comments
27 pages, 18 figures, code available