cp's OEIS Frontend

This is a front-end for the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, made by Christian Perfect. The idea is to provide OEIS entries in non-ancient HTML, and then to think about how they're presented visually. The source code is on GitHub.

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A000002 Kolakoski sequence: a(n) is length of n-th run; a(1) = 1; sequence consists just of 1's and 2's.

Original entry on oeis.org

1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2
Offset: 1

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Author

Keywords

Comments

Historical note: the sequence might be better called the Oldenburger-Kolakoski sequence, since it was discussed by Rufus Oldenburger in 1939; see links. - Clark Kimberling, Dec 06 2012. However, to avoid confusion, this sequence will be known in the OEIS as the Kolakoski sequence. It is undesirable to have some entries refer to the Oldenburger-Kolakoski sequence and others to the Kolakoski sequence. - N. J. A. Sloane, Nov 22 2017
It is an unsolved problem to show that the density of 1's is equal to 1/2.
A weaker problem is to construct a combinatorial bijection between the set of positions of 1's and the set of positions of 2's. - Gus Wiseman, Mar 01 2016
The sequence is cubefree and all square subwords have lengths which are one of 2, 4, 6, 18 and 54 (see A294447) [Carpi, 1994].
This is a fractal sequence: replace each run with its length and recover the original sequence. - Kerry Mitchell, Dec 08 2005
Kupin and Rowland write: We use a method of Goulden and Jackson to bound freq_1(K), the limiting frequency of 1 in the Kolakoski word K. We prove that |freq_1(K) - 1/2| <= 17/762, assuming the limit exists and establish the semirigorous bound |freq_1(K) - 1/2| <= 1/46. - Jonathan Vos Post, Sep 16 2008
freq_1(K) is conjectured to be 1/2 + O(log(K)) (see PlanetMath link). - Jon Perry, Oct 29 2014
Conjecture: Taking the sequence in word lengths of 10, for example, batch 1-10, 11-20, etc., then there can only be 4, 5 or 6 1's in each batch. - Jon Perry, Sep 26 2012
From Jean-Christophe Hervé, Oct 04 2014: (Start)
The sequence does not contain words of the form ababa, because this would imply the impossible 111 (1 b, 1 a, 1 b) somewhere before. This demonstrates the conjecture made by Jon Perry: more than 6 1's or 6 2's in a word of 10 would necessitate something like aabaabaaba, which would imply the impossible 12121 before (word aabaababaa is also impossible because of ababa). The remark on the sextuplets below even shows that the number of 1's in any 9-tuplet is always 4 or 5.
There are only 6 triples that appear in the sequence (112, 121, 122, 211, 212 and 221); and by the preceding argument, only 18 sextuplets: the 6 double triples (112112, etc.); 112122, 112212, 121122, 121221, 211212, and 211221; and those obtained by reversing the order of the triples (122112, etc.). Regarding the density of 1's in the sequence, these 12 sextuplets all have a density 1/2 of 1's, and the 6 double triples all lead to a word with this exact density after transformation by the Kolakoski rules, for example: 112112 -> 12112122 (4 1's/8); this is because the second triple reverses the numbers of 1's and 2's generated by the first triple. Therefore, the sequence can be split into the double triples on one side, a part whose transformation (which is in the sequence) has a density of 1's of 1/2; and a part with the other sextuplets, which has directly the same density of 1's. (End)
If we map 1 to +1 and 2 to -1, then the mapped sequence would have a [conjectured] mean of 0, since the Kolakoski sequence is [conjectured] to have an equal density (1/2) of 1s and 2s. For the partial sums of this mapped sequence, see A088568. - Daniel Forgues, Jul 08 2015
Looking at the plot for A088568, it seems that although the asymptotic densities of 1s and 2s appear to be 1/2, there might be a bias in favor of the 2s. I.e., D(1) = 1/2 - O(log(n)/n), D(2) = 1/2 + O(log(n)/n). - Daniel Forgues, Jul 11 2015
From Michel Dekking, Jan 31 2018: (Start)
(a(n)) is the unique fixed point of the 2-block substitution beta
11 -> 12
12 -> 122
21 -> 112
22 -> 1122.
A 2-block substitution beta maps a word w(1)...w(2n) to the word
beta(w(1)w(2))...beta(w(2n-1)w(2n)).
If the word has odd length, then the last letter is ignored.
It was noted by me in 1979 in the Bordeaux seminar on number theory that (a(n+1)) is fixed point of the 2-block substitution 11 -> 21, 12 -> 211, 21 -> 221, 22 -> 2211. (End)
Named after the American artist and recreational mathematician William George Kolakoski (1944-1997). - Amiram Eldar, Jun 17 2021

Examples

			Start with a(1) = 1. By definition of the sequence, this says that the first run has length 1, so it must be a single 1, and a(2) = 2. Thus, the second run (which starts with this 2) must have length 2, so the third term must be also be a(3) = 2, and the fourth term can't be a 2, so must be a(4) = 1. Since a(3) = 2, the third run must have length 2, so we deduce a(5) = 1, a(6) = 2, and so on. The correction I made was to change a(4) to a(5) and a(5) to a(6). - _Labos Elemer_, corrected by _Graeme McRae_
		

References

  • Jean-Paul Allouche and Jeffrey Shallit, Automatic Sequences, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2003, p. 337.
  • Éric Angelini, "Jeux de suites", in Dossier Pour La Science, pp. 32-35, Volume 59 (Jeux math'), April/June 2008, Paris.
  • F. M. Dekking, What Is the Long Range Order in the Kolakoski Sequence?, in The mathematics of long-range aperiodic order (Waterloo, ON, 1995), 115-125, NATO Adv. Sci. Inst. Ser. C Math. Phys. Sci., 489, Kluwer Acad. Publ., Dordrecht, 1997. Math. Rev. 98g:11022.
  • Michael S. Keane, Ergodic theory and subshifts of finite type, Chap. 2 of T. Bedford et al., eds., Ergodic Theory, Symbolic Dynamics and Hyperbolic Spaces, Oxford, 1991, esp. p. 50.
  • J. C. Lagarias, Number Theory and Dynamical Systems, pp. 35-72 of S. A. Burr, ed., The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Number Theory, Proc. Sympos. Appl. Math., 46 (1992). Amer. Math. Soc.
  • Michel Rigo, Formal Languages, Automata and Numeration Systems, 2 vols., Wiley, 2014. Mentions this sequence - see "List of Sequences" in Vol. 2.
  • N. J. A. Sloane, A Handbook of Integer Sequences, Academic Press, 1973 (includes this sequence).
  • N. J. A. Sloane and Simon Plouffe, The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, Academic Press, 1995 (includes this sequence).
  • Ilan Vardi, Computational Recreations in Mathematica. Addison-Wesley, Redwood City, CA, 1991, p. 233.

Crossrefs

Cf. A054354, bisections: A100428, A100429.
Cf. A013947, A156077, A234322 (positions, running total and percentage of 1's).
Cf. A118270.
Cf. A049705, A088569 (are either subsequences of A000002? - Jon Perry, Oct 30 2014)
Kolakoski-type sequences using other seeds than (1,2):
A078880 (2,1), A064353 (1,3), A071820 (2,3), A074804 (3,2), A071907 (1,4), A071928 (2,4), A071942 (3,4), A074803 (4,2), A079729 (1,2,3), A079730 (1,2,3,4).
Other self-describing: A001462 (Golomb sequence, see also references therein), A005041, A100144.
Cf. A088568 (partial sums of [3 - 2 * a(n)]).

Programs

  • Haskell
    a = 1:2: drop 2 (concat . zipWith replicate a . cycle $ [1,2]) -- John Tromp, Apr 09 2011
    
  • Maple
    M := 100; s := [ 1,2,2 ]; for n from 3 to M do for i from 1 to s[ n ] do s := [ op(s),1+((n-1)mod 2) ]; od: od: s; A000002 := n->s[n];
    # alternative implementation based on the Cloitre formula:
    A000002 := proc(n)
        local ksu,k ;
        option remember;
        if n = 1 then
            1;
        elif n <=3 then
            2;
        else
            for k from 1 do
                ksu := add(procname(i),i=1..k) ;
                if n = ksu then
                    return (3+(-1)^k)/2 ;
                elif n = ksu+ 1 then
                    return (3-(-1)^k)/2 ;
                end if;
            end do:
        end if;
    end proc: # R. J. Mathar, Nov 15 2014
  • Mathematica
    a[steps_] := Module[{a = {1, 2, 2}}, Do[a = Append[a, 1 + Mod[(n - 1), 2]], {n, 3, steps}, {i, a[[n]]}]; a]
    a[ n_] := If[ n < 3, Max[ 0, n], Module[ {an = {1, 2, 2}, m = 3}, While[ Length[ an] < n, an = Join[ an, Table[ Mod[m, 2, 1], { an[[ m]]} ]]; m++]; an[[n]]]] (* Michael Somos, Jul 11 2011 *)
    n=8; Prepend[ Nest[ Flatten[ Partition[#, 2] /. {{2, 2} -> {2, 2, 1, 1}, {2, 1} -> {2, 2, 1}, {1, 2} -> {2, 1, 1}, {1, 1} -> {2, 1}}] &, {2, 2}, n], 1] (* Birkas Gyorgy, Jul 10 2012 *)
    KolakoskiSeq[n_Integer] := Block[{a = {1, 2, 2}}, Fold[Join[#1, ConstantArray[Mod[#2, 2, 1], #1[[#2]]]] &, a, Range[3, n]]]; KolakoskiSeq[999] (* Mikk Heidemaa, Nov 01 2024 *) (* Corrected by Giorgos Kalogeropoulos, May 09 2025 *)
  • PARI
    my(a=[1,2,2]); for(n=3,80, for(i=1,a[n],a=concat(a,2-n%2))); a
    
  • PARI
    {a(n) = local(an=[1, 2, 2], m=3); if( n<1, 0, while( #an < n, an = concat( an, vector(an[m], i, 2-m%2)); m++); an[n])};
    
  • Python
    # For explanation see link.
    def Kolakoski():
        x = y = -1
        while True:
            yield [2,1][x&1]
            f = y &~ (y+1)
            x ^= f
            y = (y+1) | (f & (x>>1))
    K = Kolakoski()
    print([next(K) for  in range(100)]) # _David Eppstein, Oct 15 2016

Formula

These two formulas define completely the sequence: a(1)=1, a(2)=2, a(a(1) + a(2) + ... + a(k)) = (3 + (-1)^k)/2 and a(a(1) + a(2) + ... + a(k) + 1) = (3 - (-1)^k)/2. - Benoit Cloitre, Oct 06 2003
a(n+2)*a(n+1)*a(n)/2 = a(n+2) + a(n+1) + a(n) - 3 (this formula doesn't define the sequence, it is just a consequence of the definition). - Benoit Cloitre, Nov 17 2003
a(n+1) = 3 - a(n) + (a(n) - a(n-1))*(a(b(n)) - 1), where b(n) is the sequence A156253. - Jean-Marc Fedou and Gabriele Fici, Mar 18 2010
a(n) = (3 + (-1)^A156253(n))/2. - Benoit Cloitre, Sep 17 2013
Conjectures from Boštjan Gec, Oct 07 2024: (Start)
a(n)*(a(n-1) + a(n-2) - 3) + a(n-1)*a(n-2) + 7 = 3*a(n-1) + 3*a(n-2).
a(n)*(a(n-1) + a(n-2) - 3) = a(n-3)*(a(n-1) + a(n-2) - 3). (End)
Comment from Kevin Ryde, Oct 07 2024: The above formulas are true: The parts identify when terms are same or different and they hold for any sequence of 1's and 2's with run lengths 1 or 2.

Extensions

Minor edits to example and PARI code made by M. F. Hasler, May 07 2014

A088569 Anti-Kolakoski sequence (sequence of run lengths never coincides with the sequence itself).

Original entry on oeis.org

1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2
Offset: 1

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Author

Benoit Cloitre, Nov 17 2003

Keywords

Comments

Unique infinite word defined on alphabet {1,2} satisfying: a(1)=1, if a(n)=2 length of n-th run is 1, if a(n)=1 length of n-th run is 2. Kolakoski sequence satisfies the opposite definition: K(1)=1, if K(n)=2 length of n-th run is 2, if K(n)=1 length of n-th run is 1.
Equals A049705 without the first term. - Jean-Christophe Hervé, Nov 10 2014

Examples

			a(1)=1 hence first run must have length 2 and necessarily a(2)=1. Now second run must also have length 2 and therefore a(3) = a(4) = 2.
		

Crossrefs

Formula

a(n) = 3 - A000002(n+1) = A049705(n+1).

A049710 a(n)=3-k(n), where k=A006928; also, a and k have the same runlength sequence, with n-th term k(n-1) for n >= 2.

Original entry on oeis.org

2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2
Offset: 1

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Author

Keywords

Comments

Essentially the same as A049705. [From R. J. Mathar, Oct 15 2008]

Crossrefs

Cf. A000002 (Kolakoski sequence).

Formula

a(n) = A049705(n+1) = A088569(n) for n > 1. - Jean-Christophe Hervé, Nov 10 2014

A078650 2-A000002(n) where A000002 is the Kolakoski sequence.

Original entry on oeis.org

1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0
Offset: 1

Views

Author

Benoit Cloitre, Dec 14 2002

Keywords

Crossrefs

A049705(n) - 1.

A327421 In a Kolakoski n-chain, point at which term of penultimate sequence seq(n-1) differs from term of final sequence seq(n) in chain, when terms of seq(i) are run-lengths of seq(i+1) and the chain contains n sequences.

Original entry on oeis.org

0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 19, 29, 44, 66, 100, 151, 227, 341, 512, 769, 1154, 1729, 2591, 3886, 5827, 8743, 13117, 19675, 29515, 44281, 66432, 99668, 149532, 224307, 336451, 504649, 756962, 1135451, 1703198, 2554847, 3832293, 5748475, 8622647
Offset: 1

Views

Author

Anthony Sand, Nov 29 2019

Keywords

Comments

The terms of the Kolakoski sequence, A000002, are the run-lengths of the same sequence. The terms of the sequence never differ from themselves and a(1) is therefore assigned the value 0. In a Kolakoski n-chain consisting of n >= 2 sequences, the terms of seq(i) are the run-lengths of seq(i+1), with the final sequence, seq(n), in the chain being the run-lengths of seq(1). The sequence above, a(n), records the term at which seq(n-1) differs from seq(n) in a chain of n sequences that use the alphabets {2,1} for seq(1) and {1,2} for seq(2..n). For example, in the Kolakoski 2-chain, A025142 and A025143, the sequences are:
seq(1) = 2,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,... (A025143)
seq(2) = 1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,... (A025142)
The penultimate sequence, seq(n-1 = 1), differs from the final sequence, seq(n = 2), at the 1st term and therefore a(2) = 1. In this Kolakoski 3-chain, seq(n-1) differs from seq(n) at the 2nd term and a(3) = 2:
seq(1) = 2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,...
seq(2) = 1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,...
seq(3) = 1,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,...
Conjectures: 1) In a Kolakoski n-chain of the form given, as n -> infinity, seq(n) converges on the Kolakoski sequence, A000002, whose terms always match its own run-lengths, while seq(1) converges on the anti-Kolakoski sequence, A049705, whose terms never match its own run-lengths. 2) As i -> infinity, a(i) / a(i+1) converges on 2/3.

Examples

			In this Kolakoski 4-chain, seq(n-1) differs from seq(n) at the 3rd term and a(4) = 3:
seq(1) = 2,1,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,...
seq(2) = 1,1,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,...
seq(3) = 1,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,...
seq(4) = 1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,1,...
In this Kolakoski 5-chain, seq(n-1) differs from seq(n) at the 5th term and a(5) = 5:
seq(1) = 2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,...
seq(2) = 1,1,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,...
seq(3) = 1,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,...
seq(4) = 1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,...
seq(5) = 1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,2,...
In this Kolakoski 8-chain, seq(n-1) differs from seq(n) at the 19th term and a(8) = 19:
seq(1) = 2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,...
seq(2) = 1,1,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,...
[...]
seq(7) = 1,2,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,...
seq(8) = 1,2,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,...
		

Crossrefs

Showing 1-5 of 5 results.