cp's OEIS Frontend

The sequence is finite, more specifically there cannot be more than 19 terms. Proof: To have p = k*R(p) -+ q, with q < p, we must have 0 < k = (p +- q) / R(p) < 2p / (p/10) = 20, since the prime p cannot end in 0 and therefore R(p) > p/10. (R(p) and p have the same number of digits.) Thus, for a given prime p, there cannot be more than 19 solutions (k=1..19) to p - k*R(p) = +- q, and therefore no a(n) beyond n=19. - M. F. Hasler, Mar 13 2012, improved following remarks from Hans Havermann, Mar 14 2012

A refined analysis shows that the maximal number is less. On one hand, if R(p) is odd, then only even k can yield a prime. Therefore the maximal number of solutions can only be obtained for p starting with an even digit <= 8, and therefore p/R(p) < 9, thus k < 2p/R(p) < 18, k <= 17. Moreover, R(p) is not a multiple of 3 (since p isn't), therefore 1/3 of the k-values lead to q == 0 (mod 3) and are excluded, which leaves at most 11 possibilities. Other k-values lead to q == 0 (mod 5), unless p starts with '5'. In any case there cannot be more than 9 solutions. - M. F. Hasler, Mar 14 2012

a(9) > 8*10^15, if it exists. - Giovanni Resta, Oct 29 2018

If n is not a multiple of 10, then a(n) < 20. The subsequence { a(10k) }, however, is unbounded. In particular, a(10^k)=2*A006880(k).

Sequence A209063 is a subsequence which contains all (but not only) nonzero terms.