A256598 Irregular triangle where row n contains the odd terms in the Collatz sequence beginning with 2n+1.

1, 3, 5, 1, 5, 1, 7, 11, 17, 13, 5, 1, 9, 7, 11, 17, 13, 5, 1, 11, 17, 13, 5, 1, 13, 5, 1, 15, 23, 35, 53, 5, 1, 17, 13, 5, 1, 19, 29, 11, 17, 13, 5, 1, 21, 1, 23, 35, 53, 5, 1, 25, 19, 29, 11, 17, 13, 5, 1, 27, 41, 31, 47, 71, 107, 161, 121, 91, 137, 103, 155

Offset

0,2

Comments

The Collatz function is an integer-valued function given by n/2 if n is even and 3n+1 if n is odd. We build a Collatz sequence by beginning with a natural number and iterating the function indefinitely. It is conjectured that all such sequences terminate at 1.

In this triangle, row n is made up of the odd terms of the Collatz sequence beginning with 2n+1. Therefore, it is conjectured that this sequence is well-defined, i.e., that all rows terminate at 1.

The last index k in row n gives the number of iterations required for the Collatz sequence to terminate if even terms are omitted.

T(n,k)/T(n,k+1) is of form: ceiling(T(n,k)*3/2^j) for some j>=1. Therefore, the coefficients in each row may be read as a series of iterated ceilings, where j may vary. For example, row 3 has initial term 7, which is followed by ceiling(7*3/2), ceiling(ceiling(7*3/2)*3/2), ceiling(ceiling(ceiling(7*3/2)*3/2)*3/4), ceiling(ceiling(ceiling(ceiling(7*3/2)*3/2)*3/4)*3/8), ceiling(ceiling(ceiling(ceiling(ceiling(7*3/2)*3/2)*3/4)*3/8)*3/16).

The length of row n is A258145(n) (set to 0 if 1 is not reached after a finite number of steps). - Wolfdieter Lang, Aug 11 2021

Links

Table of n, a(n) for n=0..70.

Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics, Collatz Problem

Wikipedia, Collatz conjecture

Index entries for sequences related to 3x+1 (or Collatz) problem

Formula

T(n,0) = 2n+1 and T(n,k) = A000265(3*T(n,k-1)+1) for k>0. - Tom Edgar, Apr 04 2015

Example

Triangle starts T(0,0):
n\k   0   1   2   3   4    5   6   7   8   9  10 ...
0:    1
1:    3   5   1
2:    5   1
3:    7   11  17  13  5    1
4:    9   7   11  17  13   5   1
5:    11  17  13  5   1
6:    13  5   1
7:    15  23  35  53  5    1
8:    17  13  5   1
9:    19  29  11  17  13   5   1
10:   21  1
11:   23  35  53  5    1
12:   25  19  29  11  17  13   5   1
...
n=13 starts with 27 and takes 41 steps: (27), 41, 31, 47, 71, 107,... 53, 5, 1, (see A372443).
Row 8 is [17, 13, 5, 1] because it is the subsequence of odd terms for the Collatz sequence starting with 17: [17, 52, 26, 13, 40, 20, 10, 5, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1].

Mathematica

f[n_] := NestWhileList[(3*# + 1)/2^IntegerExponent[3*# + 1, 2] &, 2*n + 1, # > 1 &]; Grid[Table[f[n], {n, 0, 12}]] (* L. Edson Jeffery, Apr 25 2015 *)

Prog

(Sage)
def Collatz(n):
    A = [n]
    b = A[-1]
    while b != 1:
        if is_even(b):
            A.append(b//2)
        else:
            A.append(3*b+1)
    return A
[y for sublist in [[x for x in Collatz(2*n+1) if is_odd(x)] for n in [0..15]] for y in sublist] # Tom Edgar, Apr 04 2015
(PARI) row(n) = {my(oddn = 2*n+1, vl = List(oddn), x); while (oddn != 1, x = 3*oddn+1; oddn = x >> valuation(x, 2); listput(vl, oddn)); Vec(vl); }
tabf(nn) = {for (n=0, nn, my(rown = row(n)); for (k=1, #rown, print1(rown[k], ", ")); print; ); } \\ Michel Marcus, Oct 04 2019

Crossrefs

Cf. A006370, A070165, A075677, A258145.

Cf. A372443 (row 13 up to its first 1).

Cf. also array A372283 showing the same terms in different orientation.

Sequence in context: A030311 A198881 A318488 * A155526 A076553 A199616

Adjacent sequences: A256595 A256596 A256597 * A256599 A256600 A256601

Keyword

nonn,tabf

Author

Bob Selcoe, Apr 03 2015

Status

approved