A227321 a(n) is the least r>=3 such that the difference between the nearest r-gonal number >= n and n is an r-gonal number.

3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 5, 3, 8, 3, 3, 4, 5, 3, 11, 3, 3, 3, 5, 4, 3, 10, 3, 3, 11, 3, 17, 4, 3, 5, 3, 3, 7, 14, 3, 4, 15, 3, 23, 3, 3, 5, 11, 4, 3, 5, 5, 3, 19, 3, 3, 3, 8, 5, 21, 3, 32, 14, 3, 4, 3, 3, 15, 3, 5, 5, 25, 3, 38, 7, 3, 6, 3, 3, 13, 4, 3

Offset: 0

Author

Vladimir Shevelev, Jul 30 2013

Keywords

• nonn

Comments

The n-th r-gonal numbers is n((n-1)r-2(n-2))/2, such that 3-gonal numbers are triangular numbers, 4-gonal numbers are squares, etc.

Links

• Peter J. C. Moses, Table of n, a(n) for n = 0..1999

Crossrefs

Cf. A000217 (r=3), A000290 (r=4), A000326 (r=5), A000384 (r=6), A000566 (r=7), A000567 (r=8), A001106-7 (r=9,10), A051682 (r=11), A051624 (r=12), A051865-A051876 (r=13-24).

Programs

Mathematica

rGonalQ[r_,0]:=True; rGonalQ[r_,n_]:=IntegerQ[(Sqrt[((8r-16)n+(r-4)^2)]+r-4)/(2r-4)]; nthrGonal[r_,n_]:=(n (r-2)(n-1))/2+n; nextrGonal[r_,n_]:=nthrGonal[r,Ceiling[(Sqrt[((8r-16)n+(r-4)^2)]+r-4)/(2r-4)]]; (* next r-gonal number greater than or equal to n *) Table[NestWhile[#+1&,3,!rGonalQ[#,nextrGonal[#,n]-n]&],{n,0,99}] (* Peter J. C. Moses, Aug 03 2013 *)

Formula

If n is prime, then n == 1 or 2 mod (a(n)-2). If n >= 13 is the greater of a pair of twin primes (A006512), then a(n) = (n+3)/2. - Vladimir Shevelev, Aug 07 2013

Extensions

More terms from Peter J. C. Moses, Jul 30 2013