cp's OEIS Frontend

Might be called the "Lichtenberg sequence" after Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, who discussed it in 1769 in connection with the Chinese Rings puzzle (baguenaudier). - Andreas M. Hinz, Feb 15 2017

Number of steps to change from a binary string of n 0's to n 1's using a Gray code. - Jon Stadler (jstadler(AT)coastal.edu)

Popular puzzles such as Spin-Out and The Brain Puzzler are based on the Gray binary system and require a(n) steps to complete for some number n.

Conjecture: {a(n)} also gives all j for which A048702(j) = A000217(j); i.e., if we take the a(n)-th triangular number (a(n)^2 + a(n))/2 and multiply it by 3, we get a(n)-th even-length binary palindrome A048701(a(n)) concatenated from a(n) and its reverse. E.g., a(4) = 10, which is 1010 in binary; the tenth triangular number is 55, and 55*3 = 165 = 10100101 in binary. - Antti Karttunen, circa 1999. (This has been now proved by Paul K. Stockmeyer in his arXiv:1608.08245 paper.) - Antti Karttunen, Aug 31 2016

Number of ways to tie a tie of n or fewer half turns, excluding mirror images. Also number of walks of length n or less on a triangular lattice with the following restrictions; given l, r and c as the lattice axes. 1. All steps are taken in the positive axis direction. 2. No two consecutive steps are taken on the same axis. 3. All walks begin with l. 4. All walks end with rlc or lrc. - Bill Blewett, Dec 21 2000

a(n) is the minimal number of vertices to be selected in a vertex-cover of the balanced tree B_n. - Sen-peng Eu, Jun 15 2002

A087117(a(n)) = A038374(a(n)) = 1 for n > 1; see also A090050. - Reinhard Zumkeller, Nov 20 2003

Intersection of A003754 and A003714; complement of A107907. - Reinhard Zumkeller, May 28 2005

Equivalently, numbers m whose binary representation is effectively, for some number k, both the lazy Fibonacci and the Zeckendorf representation of k (in which case k = A022290(m)). - Peter Munn, Oct 06 2022

a(n+1) gives row sums of Riordan array (1/(1-x), x(1+2x)). - Paul Barry, Jul 18 2005

Total number of initial 01's in all binary words of length n+1. Example: a(3) = 5 because the binary words of length 4 that start with 01 are (01)00, (01)(01), (01)10 and (01)11 and the total number of initial 01's is 5 (shown between parentheses). a(n) = Sum_{k >= 0} k*A119440(n+1, k). - Emeric Deutsch, May 19 2006

In Norway we call the 10-ring puzzle "strikketoy" or "knitwear" (see link). It takes 682 moves to free the two parts. - Hans Isdahl, Jan 07 2008

Equals A002450 and A020988 interlaced. - Zak Seidov, Feb 10 2008

For n > 1, let B_n = the complete binary tree with vertex set V where |V| = 2^n - 1. If VC is a minimum-size vertex cover of B_n, Sen-Peng Eu points out that a(n) = |VC|. It also follows that if IS = V\VC, a(n+1) = |IS|. - K.V.Iyer, Apr 13 2009

Starting with 1 and convolved with [1, 2, 2, 2, ...] = A000295. - Gary W. Adamson, Jun 02 2009

a(n) written in base 2 is sequence A056830(n). - Jaroslav Krizek, Aug 05 2009

This is the sequence A(0, 1; 1, 2; 1) of the family of sequences [a,b:c,d:k] considered by G. Detlefs, and treated as A(a,b;c,d;k) in the W. Lang link given below. - Wolfdieter Lang, Oct 18 2010

From Vladimir Shevelev, Jan 30 2012, Feb 13 2012: (Start)

1) Denote by {n, k} the number of permutations of 1, ..., n with the up-down index k (for definition, see comment in A203827). Then max_k{n, k} = {n, a(n)} = A000111(n).

2) a(n) is the minimal number > a(n-1) with the Hamming distance d_H(a(n-1), a(n)) = n. Thus this sequence is the Hamming analog of triangular numbers 0, 1, 3, 6, 10, ... (End)

From Hieronymus Fischer, Nov 22 2012: (Start)

Represented in binary form each term after the second one contains every previous term as a substring.

The terms a(2) = 2 and a(3) = 5 are the only primes. Proof: For even n we get a(n) = 2*(2^(2*n) - 1)/3, which shows that a(n) is even, too, and obviously a(n) > 2 for all even n > 2. For odd n we have a(n) = (2^(n+1) - 1)/3 = (2^((n+1)/2) - 1) * (2^((n+1)/2) + 1)/3. Evidently, at least one of these factors is divisible by 3, both are greater than 6, provided n > 3. Hence it follows that a(n) is composite for all odd n > 3.

Represented as a binary number, a(n+1) has exactly n prime substrings. Proof: Evidently, a(1) = 1_2 has zero and a(2) = 10_2 has 1 prime substring. Let n > 1. Written in binary, a(n+1) is 101010101...01 (if n + 1 is odd) and is 101010101...10 (if n + 1 is even) with n + 1 digits. Only the 2- and 3-digits substrings 10_2 (=2) and 101_2 (=5) are prime substrings. All the other substrings are nonprime since every substring is a previous term and all terms unequal to 2 and 5 are nonprime. For even n + 1, the number of prime substrings equal to 2 = 10_2 is (n+1)/2, and the number of prime substrings equal to 5 = 101_2 is (n-1)/2, makes a sum of n. For odd n + 1 we get n/2 for both, the number of 2's and 5's prime substrings, in any case, the sum is n. (End)

Number of different 3-colorings for the vertices of all triangulated planar polygons on a base with n+2 vertices if the colors of the two base vertices are fixed. - Patrick Labarque, Feb 09 2013

A090079(a(n)) = a(n) and A090079(m) <> a(n) for m < a(n). - Reinhard Zumkeller, Feb 16 2013

a(n) is the number of length n binary words containing at least one 1 and ending in an even number (possibly zero) of 0's. a(3) = 5 because we have: 001, 011, 100, 101, 111. - Geoffrey Critzer, Dec 15 2013

a(n) is the number of permutations of length n+1 having exactly one descent such that the first element of the permutation is an even number. - Ran Pan, Apr 18 2015

a(n) is the sequence of the last row of the Hadamard matrix H(2^n) obtained via Sylvester's construction: H(2) = [1,1;1,-1], H(2^n) = H(2^(n-1))*H(2), where * is the Kronecker product. - William P. Orrick, Jun 28 2015

Conjectured record values of A264784: a(n) = A264784(A155051(n-1)). - Reinhard Zumkeller, Dec 04 2015. (This is proved by Paul K. Stockmeyer in his arXiv:1608.08245 paper.) - Antti Karttunen, Aug 31 2016

Decimal representation of the x-axis, from the origin to the right edge, of the n-th stage of growth of the two-dimensional cellular automaton defined by "Rule 131", based on the 5-celled von Neumann neighborhood. See A279053 for references and links. - Robert Price, Dec 05 2016

For n > 4, a(n-2) is the second-largest number in row n of A127824. - Dmitry Kamenetsky, Feb 11 2017

Conjecture: a(n+1) is the number of compositions of n with two kinds of parts, n and n', where the order of the 1 and 1' does not matter. For n=2, a(3) = 5 compositions, enumerated as follows: 2; 2'; 1,1; 1',1 = 1',1; 1',1'. - Gregory L. Simay, Sep 02 2017

Conjecture proved by recognizing the appropriate g.f. is x/(1 - x)(1 - x)(1 - 2*x^2 - 2x^3 - ...) = x/(1 - 2*x - x^2 + 2x^3). - Gregory L. Simay, Sep 10 2017

a(n) = 2^(n-1) + 2^(n-3) + 2^(n-5) + ... a(2*k -1) = A002450(k) is the sum of the powers of 4. a(2*k) = 2*A002450(k). - Gregory L. Simay, Sep 27 2017

a(2*n) = n times the string [10] in binary representation, a(2*n+1) = n times the string [10] followed with [1] in binary representation. Example: a(7) = 85 = (1010101) in binary, a(8) = 170 = (10101010) in binary. - Ctibor O. Zizka, Nov 06 2018

Except for 0, these are the positive integers whose binary expansion has cuts-resistance 1. For the operation of shortening all runs by 1, cuts-resistance is the number of applications required to reach an empty word. Cuts-resistance 2 is A329862. - Gus Wiseman, Nov 27 2019

From Markus Sigg, Sep 14 2020: (Start)

Let s(k) be the length of the Collatz orbit of k, e.g. s(1) = 1, s(2) = 2, s(3) = 5. Then s(a(n)) = n+3 for n >= 3. Proof by induction: s(a(3)) = s(5) = 6 = 3+3. For odd n >= 5 we have s(a(n)) = s(4*a(n-2)+1) = s(12*a(n-2)+4)+1 = s(3*a(n-2)+1)+3 = s(a(n-2))+2 = (n-2)+3+2 = n+3, and for even n >= 4 this gives s(a(n)) = s(2*a(n-1)) = s(a(n-1))+1 = (n-1)+3+1 = n+3.

Conjecture: For n >= 3, a(n) is the second largest natural number whose Collatz orbit has length n+3. (End)

From Gary W. Adamson, May 14 2021: (Start)

With offset 1 the sequence equals the numbers of 1's from n = 1 to 3, 3 to 7, 7 to 15, ...; of A035263; as shown below:

..1 3 7 15...

..1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1...

..1.....2...........5......................10...; a(n) = Sum_(k=1..2n-1)A035263(k)

.....1...........2.......................5...; as to zeros.

..1's in the Tower of Hanoi game represent CW moves On disks in the pattern:

..0, 1, 2, 0, 1, 2, ... whereas even numbered disks move in the pattern:

..0, 2, 1, 0, 2, 1, ... (End)

Except for 0, numbers that are repunits in Gray-code representation (A014550). - Amiram Eldar, May 21 2021

From Gus Wiseman, Apr 20 2023: (Start)

Also the number of nonempty subsets of {1..n} with integer median, where the median of a multiset is the middle part in the odd-length case, and the average of the two middle parts in the even-length case. For example, the a(1) = 1 through a(4) = 10 subsets are:

{1} {1} {1} {1}

{2} {2} {2}

{3} {3}

{1,3} {4}

{1,2,3} {1,3}

{2,4}

{1,2,3}

{1,2,4}

{1,3,4}

{2,3,4}

The complement is counted by A005578.

For mean instead of median we have A051293, counting empty sets A327475.

For normal multisets we have A056450, strongly normal A361202.

For partitions we have A325347, strict A359907, complement A307683.

(End)

In binary form, because the sequence 10101_2... keeps repeating, one can represent a(n) = floor(0.(10)2 * 2^n). Because 0.(10)_2 = 0.(10)_2 * 4 - 2, then 0.(10)_2 = 2/3. Substituting this value in the first expression, we obtain a(n) = floor(2^(n+1)/3). This also agrees with the formula of Paul Barry, Oct 08 2005. - _Giovanni Ciriani, Mar 31 2025

a(n) = 1111 in base n.

n^3 + n^2 + n + 1 = (n^2 + 1)*(n + 1), therefore a(n) is never prime. - Alonso del Arte, Apr 22 2014

The a-sequence for this Sheffer matrix is A027641(n)/A027642(n) (Bernoulli numbers) and the z-sequence is A130189(n)/ A130190(n). See the W. Lang link.

Take the lower triangular matrix in A049020 and invert it, then read by rows! - N. J. A. Sloane, Feb 07 2009

Exponential Riordan array [exp(x), log(1/(1-x))]. Equal to A007318*A132393. - Paul Barry, Apr 23 2009

A signed version of the triangle appears in [Gessel]. - Peter Bala, Aug 31 2012

T(n,k) is the number of permutations over all subsets of {1,2,...,n} (Cf. A000522) that have exactly k cycles. T(3,2) = 6: We permute the elements of the subsets {1,2}, {1,3}, {2,3}. Each has one permutation with 2 cycles. We permute the elements of {1,2,3} and there are three permutations that have 2 cycles. 3*1 + 1*3 = 6. - Geoffrey Critzer, Feb 24 2013

From Wolfdieter Lang, Jul 28 2017: (Start)

In Chihara's book the row polynomials (with rising powers) are the Charlier polynomials (-1)^n*C^(a)_n(-x), with a = -1, n >= 0. See p. 170, eq. (1.4).

In Ismail's book the present Charlier polynomials are denoted by C_n(-x;a=1) on p. 177, eq. (6.1.25). (End)

The triangle T(n,k) is a representative of the parametric family of triangles T(m,n,k), whose columns are the coefficients of the standard expansion of the function f(x) = (-log(1-x))^(k)*exp(-m*x)/k! for the case m=-1. See A381082. - Igor Victorovich Statsenko, Feb 14 2025

Permanent of an (n+1) X (n+1) (+1, -1)-matrix with exactly n -1's on the diagonal and 1's everywhere else.

It is conjectured by Kräuter and Seifter that for n >= 5 a(n-1) is the maximal possible value for the permanent of a nonsingular n X n (+1, -1)-matrix. I do not know for which values of n this has been confirmed - compare A087982. - N. J. A. Sloane

The Kräuter conjecture on permanents is true (see Budrevich and Guterman). - Sergei Shteiner, Jan 17 2020

The maximal possible value for the permanent of a singular n X n (+1, -1)-matrix is obviously n!.

Degree of the "hyperdeterminant" of a multilinear polynomial on (\P^1(\C))^n, or equivalently of an element of (\C^2)^{⊗ n}: see Gelfand, Kapranov and Zelevinsky. - Eric Rains, Mar 15 2004

(-1)^n * a(n) = Polynomials in A010027 evaluated at -1. - Ralf Stephan, Dec 15 2004

a(n) is the number of n X n (-1, 0, 1)-matrices containing in every row and every column exactly one -1 and one 1 such that the main diagonal does not contain 0's. - Vladimir Shevelev, Apr 01 2010

a(n) is the number of colored permutations with no fixed points of n elements where each cycle is one of two colors. - Michael Somos, Jan 19 2011

Binomial transform is A000255. Hankel transform is A059332. - Paul Barry, Apr 11 2011

Exponential self-convolution of subfactorials (A000166). - Vladimir Reshetnikov, Oct 07 2016

The matrix operation b = T*a can be characterized in several ways in terms of the coefficients a(n) and b(n), their o.g.f.s A(x) and B(x), or e.g.f.s EA(x) and EB(x).

1) b(0) = a(0), b(n) = a(n) - n*a(n-1) for n > 0

2) b(n) = n! Lag{n,(.)!*Lag[.,a(.),0],-1}, umbrally

3) b(n) = n! Sum_{j=0..min(1,n)} (-1)^j * binomial(n,j)*a(n-j)/(n-j)!

4) b(n) = (-1)^n n! Lag(n,a(.),1-n)

5) B(x) = (1-xDx) A(x) = [1-x*Lag(1,-xD:,0)] A(x)

6) EB(x) = (1-x) EA(x),

where D is the derivative w.r.t. x and Lag(n,x,m) is the associated Laguerre polynomial of order m. These formulas are easily generalized for repeated applications of the operator.

c = (1,-1,0,0,0,...) is the sequence associated to T under the list partition transform and the associated operations described in A133314. The reciprocal sequence is d = (0!,1!,2!,3!,4!,...).

Consequently, the inverse of T is TI(n,k) = binomial(n,k)*d(n-k) = A094587, which has the property that the terms at and below TI(m,m) are the associated sequence under the list partition transform for the inverse for T^(m+1) for m=0,1,2,3,... .

Row sums of T = [formula 3 with all a(n) = 1] = [binomial transform of c] = [coefficients of B(x) with A(x) = 1/(1-x)] = A024000 = (1,0,-1,-2,-3,...), with e.g.f. = [EB(x) with EA(x) = exp(x)] = (1-x) * exp(x) = exp(x)*exp(c(.)*x) = exp[(1+c(.))*x].

Alternating row sums of T = [formula 3 with all a(n) = (-1)^n] = [finite differences of c] = [coefficients of B(x) with A(x) = 1/(1+x)] = (1,-2,3,-4,...), with e.g.f. = [EB(x) with EA(x) = exp(-x)] = (1-x) * exp(-x) = exp(-x)*exp(c(.)*x) = exp[-(1-c(.))*x].

An e.g.f. for the o.g.f.s for repeated applications of T on A(x) is given by

exp[t*(1-xDx)] A(x) = e^t * Sum_{n=0,1,...} (-t*x)^n * Lag(n,-:xD:,0) A(x)

= e^t * exp{[-t*u/(1+t*u)]*:xD:} / (1+t*u) A(x) (eval. at u=x)

= e^t * A[x/(1+t*x)]/(1+t*x) .

See A132014 for more notes on repeated applications.

This sequence arises in a calculation of the fourth moments of the volumes of random polytopes in certain very symmetric convex bodies.

Inverse of A239473. Equals A007318*A167374. - Tom Copeland, Nov 14 2016

Original name was: A Jacobsthal summation.

The convolution of A024000 and A003683. Inverse binomial transform is A055275, with interpolated zeros.