Related papers: Features of a high school olympiad problem

Consider the recursive relation generating a new positive integer $n_{\ell +1}$ from the positive integer $n_{\ell }$ according to the following simple rules: if the integer $n_{\ell }$ is odd, $n_{\ell +1}=3n_{\ell }+1$; if the integer…

Turing's famous 'machine' framework provides an intuitively clear conception of 'computing with real numbers'. A recursive counterexample to a theorem shows that the theorem does not hold when restricted to computable objects. These…

Let $A$ be a finite-dimensional algebra over an algebraically closed field. The problem of constructing indecomposable $A$-modules inductively from simple ones by means of exact sequences - called accessibility - is the starting point of…

Using basic tools of mathematical analysis and elementary probability theory we address several problems on the irrationality of series of distinct unit fractions, $\sum_k 1/a_k$. In particular, we study subseries of the Lambert series…

Inspired by OEIS sequence A377912, which consists of the nonnegative integers in which every even digit (except possibly the last) is immediately followed by a strictly larger digit, we define even-up and odd-up words over an alphabet of…

These notes represent an extended version of a talk I gave for the participants of the IMO 2009 and other interested people. We introduce diophantine equations and show evidence that it can be hard to solve them. Then we demonstrate how one…

We consider a long but finite (ladder) circuit with alternating connections of resistors in series and parallel and derive an explicit expression for its equivalent resistance as a function of the number of repeating blocks, $R_{\rm…

A 1910 theorem of Brouwer characterizes the Cantor set as the unique totally disconnected, compact metric space without isolated points. A 1920 theorem of Sierpinski characterizes the rationals as the unique countable metric space without…

These lecture notes cover classical undecidability results in number theory, Hilbert's 10th problem and recent developments around it, also for rings other than the integers. It also contains a sketch of the authors result that the integers…

We consider certain correspondences on a Riemann surface, and show that they admit a weak form of hyperbolicity: sufficiently long loops get shorter under lifting at a fixed point and closing. In terms of their algebraic encoding by bisets,…

We classify finite dimensional division real associative $\mathcal{Z}_2$-algebras, introduce composition $\mathcal{Z}_2$-algebras, and extend the Campbell-Baker-Hausdorff series and Lie correspondence in the context of linear Hu-Liu Leibniz…

The number of solutions of the diophantine equation $\sum_{i=1}^k \frac{1}{x_i}=1,$ in particular when the $x_i$ are distinct odd positive integers is investigated. The number of solutions $S(k)$ in this case is, for odd $k$: \[\exp \left(…

We discover suprising connections between three seemingly different problems: finding right triangles with rational sides in a non-Euclidean geometry, finding three integers such that the difference of the squares of any two is a square,…

In 1882 J.J. Sylvester already proved, that the number of different ways to partition a positive integer into consecutive positive integers exactly equals the number of odd divisors of that integer (see [1]). We will now develop an…

This paper discusses limitations of reflexive and diagonal arguments as methods of proof of limitative theorems (e.g. G\"odel's theorem on Entscheidungsproblem, Turing's halting problem or Chaitin-G\"odel's theorem). The fact, that a formal…

In this expository paper we collect some simple facts about analogues of Pascals triangle where the entries count subsets of the integers with an even or odd sum and show that they are related to Rogers-Szego polynomials. In particular we…

We generalize the classical theorem by Jarnik and Besicovitch on the irrationality exponents of real numbers and Hausdorff dimension. Let a be any real number greater than or equal to 2 and let b be any non-negative real less than or equal…

We consider several old problems involving the number of prime divisors function $\omega(n)$, as well as the related functions $\Omega(n)$ and $\tau(n)$. Firstly, we show that there are infinitely many positive integers $n$ such that…

We construct a topos in which the Dedekind reals are countable. The topos arises from a new kind of realizability, which we call parameterized realizability, based on partial combinatory algebras whose application depends on a parameter.…

Wills conjectured that, for any non-zero integers $u_1,\ldots,u_k$, there is a real number $t$ such that, for all $i=1,\ldots,k$, \[\lVert tu_i\rVert\geq\frac{1}{k+1},\] where $\lVert x\rVert$ is the distance from $x$ to the closest…