cp's OEIS Frontend

Erdős conjectured that n^2 - 1 = k! has a solution if and only if n is 5, 11 or 71 (when k is 4, 5 or 7).

Second-order linear recurrences y(m) = 2y(m-1) + a(n)*y(m-2), y(0) = y(1) = 1, have closed form solutions involving only powers of integers. - Len Smiley, Dec 08 2001

Number of edges in the join of two cycle graphs, both of order n, C_n * C_n. - Roberto E. Martinez II, Jan 07 2002

Let k be a positive integer, M_n be the n X n matrix m_(i,j) = k^abs(i-j) then det(M_n) = (-1)^(n-1)*a(k-1)^(n-1). - Benoit Cloitre, May 28 2002

Also numbers k such that 4*k + 4 is a square. - Cino Hilliard, Dec 18 2003

For each term k, the function sqrt(x^2 + 1), starting with 1, produces an integer after k iterations. - Gerald McGarvey, Aug 19 2004

a(n) mod 3 = 0 if and only if n mod 3 > 0: a(A008585(n)) = 2; a(A001651(n)) = 0; a(n) mod 3 = 2*(1-A079978(n)). - Reinhard Zumkeller, Oct 16 2006

a(n) is the number of divisors of a(n+1) that are not greater than n. - Reinhard Zumkeller, Apr 09 2007

Nonnegative X values of solutions to the equation X^3 + X^2 = Y^2. To find Y values: b(n) = n(n+1)(n+2). - Mohamed Bouhamida, Nov 06 2007

Sequence allows us to find X values of the equation: X + (X + 1)^2 + (X + 2)^3 = Y^2. To prove that X = n^2 + 2n: Y^2 = X + (X + 1)^2 + (X + 2)^3 = X^3 + 7*X^2 + 15X + 9 = (X + 1)(X^2 + 6X + 9) = (X + 1)*(X + 3)^2 it means: (X + 1) must be a perfect square, so X = k^2 - 1 with k>=1. we can put: k = n + 1, which gives: X = n^2 + 2n and Y = (n + 1)(n^2 + 2n + 3). - Mohamed Bouhamida, Nov 12 2007

From R. K. Guy, Feb 01 2008: (Start)

Toads and Frogs puzzle:

This is also the number of moves that it takes n frogs to swap places with n toads on a strip of 2n + 1 squares (or positions, or lily pads) where a move is a single slide or jump, illustrated for n = 2, a(n) = 8 by

T T - F F

T - T F F

T F T - F

T F T F -

T F - F T

- F T F T

F - T F T

F F T - T

F F - T T

I was alerted to this by the Holton article, but on consulting Singmaster's sources, I find that the puzzle goes back at least to 1867.

Probably the first to publish the number of moves for n of each animal was Edouard Lucas in 1883. (End)

a(n+1) = terms of rank 0, 1, 3, 6, 10 = A000217 of A120072 (3, 8, 5, 15). - Paul Curtz, Oct 28 2008

Row 3 of array A163280, n >= 1. - Omar E. Pol, Aug 08 2009

Final digit belongs to a periodic sequence: 0, 3, 8, 5, 4, 5, 8, 3, 0, 9. - Mohamed Bouhamida, Sep 04 2009 [Comment edited by N. J. A. Sloane, Sep 24 2009]

Let f(x) be a polynomial in x. Then f(x + n*f(x)) is congruent to 0 (mod f(x)); here n belongs to N. There is nothing interesting in the quotients f(x + n*f(x))/f(x) when x belongs to Z. However, when x is irrational these quotients consist of two parts, a) rational integers and b) integer multiples of x. The present sequence represents the non-integer part when the polynomial is x^2 + x + 1 and x = sqrt(2), f(x+n*f(x))/f(x) = A056108(n) + a(n)*sqrt(2). - A.K. Devaraj, Sep 18 2009

For n >= 1, a(n) is the number for which 1/a(n) = 0.0101... (A000035) in base (n+1). - Rick L. Shepherd, Sep 27 2009

For n > 0, continued fraction [n, 1, n] = (n+1)/a(n); e.g., [6, 1, 6] = 7/48. - Gary W. Adamson, Jul 15 2010

Starting (3, 8, 15, ...) = binomial transform of [3, 5, 2, 0, 0, 0, ...]; e.g., a(3) = 15 = (1*3 + 2*5 +1*2) = (3 + 10 + 2). - Gary W. Adamson, Jul 30 2010

a(n) is essentially the case 0 of the polygonal numbers. The polygonal numbers are defined as P_k(n) = Sum_{i=1..n} ((k-2)*i-(k-3)). Thus P_0(n) = 2*n-n^2 and a(n) = -P_0(n+2). See also A067998 and for the case k=1 A080956. - Peter Luschny, Jul 08 2011

a(n) is the maximal determinant of a 2 X 2 matrix with integer elements from {1, ..., n+1}, so the maximum determinant of a 2x2 matrix with integer elements from {1, ..., 5} = 5^2 - 1 = a(4) = 24. - Aldo González Lorenzo, Oct 12 2011

Using four consecutive triangular numbers t1, t2, t3 and t4, plot the points (0, 0), (t1, t2), and (t3, t4) to create a triangle. Twice the area of this triangle are the numbers in this sequence beginning with n = 1 to give 8. - J. M. Bergot, May 03 2012

Given a particle with spin S = n/2 (always a half-integer value), the quantum-mechanical expectation value of the square of the magnitude of its spin vector evaluates to = S(S+1) = n(n+2)/4, i.e., one quarter of a(n) with n = 2S. This plays an important role in the theory of magnetism and magnetic resonance. - Stanislav Sykora, May 26 2012

Twice the harmonic mean [H(x, y) = (2*x*y)/(x + y)] of consecutive triangular numbers A000217(n) and A000217(n+1). - Raphie Frank, Sep 28 2012

Number m such that floor(sqrt(m)) = floor(m/floor(sqrt(m))) - 2 for m > 0. - Takumi Sato, Oct 10 2012

The solutions of equation 1/(i - sqrt(j)) = i + sqrt(j), when i = (n+1), j = a(n). For n = 1, 2 + sqrt(3) = 3.732050.. = A019973. For n = 2, 3 + sqrt(8) = 5.828427... = A156035. - Kival Ngaokrajang, Sep 07 2013

The integers in the closed form solution of a(n) = 2*a(n-1) + a(m-2)*a(n-2), n >= 2, a(0) = 0, a(1) = 1 mentioned by Len Smiley, Dec 08 2001, are m and -m + 2 where m >= 3 is a positive integer. - Felix P. Muga II, Mar 18 2014

Let m >= 3 be a positive integer. If a(n) = 2*a(n-1) + a(m-2) * a(n-2), n >= 2, a(0) = 0, a(1) = 1, then lim_{n->oo} a(n+1)/a(n) = m. - Felix P. Muga II, Mar 18 2014

For n >= 4 the Szeged index of the wheel graph W_n (with n + 1 vertices). In the Sarma et al. reference, Theorem 2.7 is incorrect. - Emeric Deutsch, Aug 07 2014

If P_{k}(n) is the n-th k-gonal number, then a(n) = t*P_{s}(n+2) - s*P_{t}(n+2) for s=t+1. - Bruno Berselli, Sep 04 2014

For n >= 1, a(n) is the dimension of the simple Lie algebra A_n. - Wolfdieter Lang, Oct 21 2015

Finding all positive integers (n, k) such that n^2 - 1 = k! is known as Brocard's problem, (see A085692). - David Covert, Jan 15 2016

For n > 0, a(n) mod (n+1) = a(n) / (n+1) = n. - Torlach Rush, Apr 04 2016

Conjecture: When using the Sieve of Eratosthenes and sieving (n+1..a(n)), with divisors (1..n) and n>0, there will be no more than a(n-1) composite numbers. - Fred Daniel Kline, Apr 08 2016

a(n) mod 8 is periodic with period 4 repeating (0,3,0,7), that is a(n) mod 8 = 5/2 - (5/2) cos(n*Pi) - sin(n*Pi/2) + sin(3*n*Pi/2). - Andres Cicuttin, Jun 02 2016

Also for n > 0, a(n) is the number of times that n-1 occurs among the first (n+1)! terms of A055881. - R. J. Cano, Dec 21 2016

The second diagonal of composites (the only prime is number 3) from the right on the Klauber triangle (see Kival Ngaokrajang link), which is formed by taking the positive integers and taking the first 1, the next 3, the following 5, and so on, each centered below the last. - Charles Kusniec, Jul 03 2017

Also the number of independent vertex sets in the n-barbell graph. - Eric W. Weisstein, Aug 16 2017

Interleaving of A000466 and A033996. - Bruce J. Nicholson, Nov 08 2019

a(n) is the number of degrees of freedom in a triangular cell for a Raviart-Thomas or Nédélec first kind finite element space of order n. - Matthew Scroggs, Apr 22 2020

From Muge Olucoglu, Jan 19 2021: (Start)

For n > 1, a(n-2) is the maximum number of elements in the second stage of the Quine-McCluskey algorithm whose minterms are not covered by the functions of n bits. At n=3, we have a(3-2) = a(1) = 1*(1+2) = 3 and f(A,B,C) = sigma(0,1,2,5,6,7).

.

0 1 2 5 6 7

+---------------

*(0,1)| X X

(0,2)| X X

(1,5)| X X

*(2,6)| X X

*(5,7)| X X

(6,7)| X X

.

*: represents the elements that are covered. (End)

1/a(n) is the ratio of the sum of the first k odd numbers and the sum of the next n*k odd numbers. - Melvin Peralta, Jul 15 2021

For n >= 1, the continued fraction expansion of sqrt(a(n)) is [n; {1, 2n}]. - Magus K. Chu, Sep 09 2022

Number of diagonals parallel to an edge in a regular (2*n+4)-gon (cf. A367204). - Paolo Xausa, Nov 21 2023

For n >= 1, also the number of minimum cyclic edge cuts in the (n+2)-trapezohedron graph. - Eric W. Weisstein, Nov 21 2024

For n >= 1, a(n) is the sum of the interior angles of a polygon with n+2 sides, in radians, multiplied by (n+2)/Pi. - Stuart E Anderson, Aug 06 2025

Only first term differs from the decimal expansion of phi.

Zelo extends work of D. Roy by showing that the square of the golden ratio is the optimal exponent of approximation by algebraic numbers of degree 4 with bounded denominator and trace. - Jonathan Vos Post, Mar 02 2009 (Cf. last sentence in the Zelo reference. - Joerg Arndt, Jan 04 2014)

Hawkes asks: "What two numbers are those whose product, difference of their squares, and the ratio or quotient of their cubes, are all equal to each other?". - Charles R Greathouse IV, Dec 11 2012

This is the case n=10 in (Gamma(1/n)/Gamma(3/n))*(Gamma((n-1)/n)/Gamma((n-3)/n)) = 1+2*cos(2*Pi/n). - Bruno Berselli, Dec 14 2012

An algebraic integer of degree 2, with minimal polynomial x^2 - 3x + 1. - Charles R Greathouse IV, Nov 12 2014 [The other root is 2 - phi = A132338 - Wolfdieter Lang, Aug 29 2022]

To eight digits: 5*(((Pi+1)/e)-1) = 2.61803395481182... - Dan Graham, Nov 21 2017

The ratio diagonal/side of the second smallest diagonal in a regular 10-gon. - Mohammed Yaseen, Nov 04 2020

phi^2/10 is the moment of inertia of a solid regular icosahedron with a unit mass and a unit edge length (see A341906). - Amiram Eldar, Jun 08 2021

1 + sqrt(3) is the length of the minimal Steiner network that connects the four vertices of a unit square. - Lekraj Beedassy, May 02 2008

This is the case n = 12 in the identity (Gamma(1/n)/Gamma(3/n))*(Gamma((n-1)/n)/Gamma((n-3)/n)) = 1 + 2*cos(2*Pi/n). - Bruno Berselli, Dec 14 2012

Equals n + n/(n + n/(n + n/(n + ...))) for n = 2. - Stanislav Sykora, Jan 23 2014

A non-optimal solution to the problem of finding the length of shortest fence that protects privacy of a square garden [Kawohl]. Cf. A256965. - N. J. A. Sloane, Apr 14 2015

Perimeter of a 30-60-90 triangle with longest leg equal to 1. - Wesley Ivan Hurt, Apr 09 2016

Length of the second shortest diagonal in a regular 12-gon with unit side. - Mohammed Yaseen, Dec 13 2020

Surface area of a square pyramid (Johnson solid J_1) with unit edges. - Paolo Xausa, Aug 04 2025

Least side in a triangle with integer sides (m, m+1, m+2) (m >= 1) and integer area. The degenerate triangle with sides (1,2,3) is included.

Also describes triangles whose sides are consecutive integers and in which the inscribed circle has an integer radius. - Harvey P. Dale, Dec 28 2000 [Then, the length of this inradius is A001353(n). - Bernard Schott, Mar 21 2023]

Equivalently, positive integers m such that (3/16)*m^4 + (3/4)*m^3 + (3/8)*m^2 - (3/4)*m - 9/16 is a square (A000290), a direct result of Heron's formula. - Rick L. Shepherd, Sep 04 2005

"The problem is to find the sides of a triangle that shall have the values n, n + 1, and n + 2 and such that the perpendicular upon the longest side from the opposite vertex shall be rational. Nakane solves it as follows..." (Smith and Mikami, 2004). - Jonathan Sondow, May 09 2013

For n >= 1 all terms are congruent to {1,3} mod 10. Among first 100 terms there are 6 prime numbers: 3, 13, 193, 37633, 7300801, 1416317953. - Zak Seidov, Jun 14 2018

n > 1 is in this sequence if and only if the triangle with sides 4, n, n+2 has integer area (compare with A072221 for sides 3, n, n+1). - Michael Somos, May 11 2019

a(0) = 1 corresponds to the degenerate triangle [1,2,3], with area = 0. - Wesley Ivan Hurt, May 20 2020

Since this is a list it should really have offset 1, but that would require a large number of changes. - N. J. A. Sloane, Feb 04 2021

Least distance from centroid of a triangle to vertices, distances being m, m+1, m+2 and triangle area being a nonnegative integer. - Alexandru Petrescu, Feb 28 2023

Then, in this case, with a(n) = m, the corresponding area of this triangle is 3 * A011945(n+1). - Bernard Schott, Mar 21 2023

Let M = [ 1, 1, 0; 1, 3, 1; 0, 1, 1 ]; then [1,0,0]*M^n = [a(n), A001353(n), A061278(n-1)] for n > 1. Further, A001353 consists of the first differences of {a(n)}, and since a(n) = A061278(n) + 1, A001353 is also the first differences of A061278. Let v(n) = [1,0,0]*M^n; then, for n >= 0, sum(v_i(n)) = A001075(n) and v_1(n) + v_3(n) = A001835(n). The characteristic polynomial of M is x^3 - 5x^2 + 5x - 1. a(n)/a(n-1) tends to 2 + sqrt(3) = 3.732.... (see A019973) (a root of the polynomial and an eigenvalue of the matrix).

Numbers k such that the RootMeanSquare([1..6*k-5]) is an integer. - Ctibor O. Zizka, Dec 17 2008

Place a(n) blue and b(n) red balls in an urn. Draw 3 balls without replacement. Then Probability(3 red balls) = Probability(1 red and 2 blue balls); binomial(b(n),3) = binomial(b(n),1)*binomial(a(n),2); b(n) = A179167(n). - Paul Weisenhorn, Jul 01 2010

Conjecture: consecutive terms of this sequence and consecutive terms of A032908 provide all the positive integer solutions of (a+b)*(a+b+1) == 0 (mod (a*b)). - Robert Israel, Aug 26 2015

Conjecture is true: see StackExchange link. - Robert Israel, Sep 06 2015

Values of a unitary Y-frieze pattern associated to the linearly oriented quiver K3 (i.e., the quiver whose underlying graph is the complete graph on the vertices {1,2,3}, oriented such that i -> j whenever i < j). - Antoine de Saint Germain, Dec 30 2024

Decimal expansion of the length/width ratio of a sqrt(2)-extension rectangle. See A188640 for definitions of shape and r-extension rectangle.

A sqrt(2)-extension rectangle matches the continued fraction [1,1,13,1,2,15,10,1,18,1,1,21,,...] (A188888) for the shape L/W = sqrt(2 + sqrt(3)). This is analogous to the matching of a golden rectangle to the continued fraction [1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,...]. Specifically, for the sqrt(2)-extension rectangle, 1 square is removed first, then 1 square, then 13 squares, then 1 square, ..., so that the original rectangle of shape sqrt(2 + sqrt(3)) is partitioned into an infinite collection of squares.

sqrt(2 + sqrt(3)) is also the shape of the greater sqrt(6)-contraction rectangle; see A188738.

This constant is also the length of the Steiner span of three vertices of a unit square. - Jean-François Alcover, May 22 2014

It is also the larger positive coordinate of (symmetrical) intersection points created by x^2 + y^2 = 4 circle and y = 1/x hyperbola. The smaller coordinate is A101263. - Leszek Lezniak, Sep 18 2018

Length of the shortest diagonal in a regular 12-gon with unit side. - Mohammed Yaseen, Nov 12 2020

In a regular pentagon, inscribed in a unit circle this equals twice the largest distance between a vertex and a midpoint of a side.

This is an integer in the quadratic number field Q(sqrt(5)).

Only the first digit differs from A001622.

A root of the equation x^3 - 5*x^2 + 6*x - 1 = 0. - Arkadiusz Wesolowski, Jan 13 2016

The other two roots of this minimal polynomial of the present algebraic number (rho(7))^2, with rho(7) = 2*cos(Pi/7) = A160389 are (2*cos(3*Pi/7))^2 = (A255241)^2 and (2*cos(5*Pi/7))^2 = (-A255249)^2. - Wolfdieter Lang, Mar 30 2020

This algebraic number rho(9)^2 of degree 3 is a root of its minimal polynomial x^3 - 6*x^2 + 9*x - 1.

The other two roots are x2 = (2*cos(5*Pi/9))^2 = (2*cos(4*Pi/9))^2 = (R(4,rho(9)))^2 = 2 - rho(9) = 0.120614758..., and x3 = (2*cos(7*Pi/9))^2 = (2*cos(7*Pi/9))^2 = (R(7,rho(9)))^2 = 4 + rho(9) - rho(9)^2 = 2.347296355... = A130880 + 2, with rho(9) = 2*cos(Pi/9) = A332437, the monic Chebyshev polynomials R (see A127672), and the computation is done modulo the minimal polynomial of rho(9) which is x^3 - 3*x - 1 (see A187360).

This gives the representation of these roots in the power basis of the simple field extension Q(rho(9)). See the linked W. Lang paper in A187360, sect. 4.

This number rho(9)^2 appears as limit of the quotient of consecutive numbers af various sequences, e.g., A094256 and A094829.

The algebraic number rho(9)^2 - 2 = 1.532088898... of Q(rho(9)) has minimal polynomial x^3 - 3*x + 1 over Q. The other roots are -rho(9) = -A332437 and 2 + rho(9) - rho(9)^2 = A130880. - Wolfdieter Lang, Sep 20 2022