A250256 Least positive integer whose decimal digits divide the plane into n regions (A249572 variant).

1, 6, 8, 68, 88, 688, 888, 6888, 8888, 68888, 88888, 688888, 888888, 6888888, 8888888, 68888888, 88888888, 688888888, 888888888, 6888888888, 8888888888, 68888888888, 88888888888, 688888888888, 888888888888, 6888888888888, 8888888888888, 68888888888888

Offset: 1

Author

Rick L. Shepherd, Nov 15 2014

Keywords

• nonn
• base
• easy

Comments

Equivalently, with offset 0, least positive integer with n holes in its decimal digits. Leading zeros are not permitted. Variation of A249572 with the numeral "4" considered open at the top, as it is often handwritten. See also the comments in A249572.

For n > 2, a(n) + a(n+1) divides the plane into 2 regions. For n > 1, a(2n) - a(2n-1) divides the plane into n+1 regions. For n >= 1, a(2n+1) - a(2n) divides the plane into n regions. - Ivan N. Ianakiev, Feb 23 2015

Examples

			The integer 68, whose decimal digits have 3 holes, divides the plane into 4 regions. No smaller positive integer does this, so a(4) = 68.
		

Links

• Brady Haran and N. J. A. Sloane, What Number Comes Next? (2018), Numberphile video
• Index entries for linear recurrences with constant coefficients, signature (1,10,-10).

Crossrefs

Cf. A249572, A250257, A250258, A001743, A001744, A001745, A001746, A002282.

Programs

Magma

I:=[1,6,8,68]; [n le 4 select I[n] else 10*Self(n-2)+8: n in [1..30]]; // Vincenzo Librandi, Nov 15 2014

Mathematica

Join[{1, 6, 8}, RecurrenceTable[{a[1]==68, a[2]==88, a[n]==10 a[n-2] + 8}, a, {n, 20}]] (* Vincenzo Librandi, Nov 16 2014 *)

Formula

a(n) = 10*a(n-2) + 8 for n >= 4.

From Chai Wah Wu, Jul 12 2016: (Start)

a(n) = a(n-1) + 10*a(n-2) - 10*a(n-3) for n > 4.

G.f.: x*(10*x^3 - 8*x^2 + 5*x + 1)/((x - 1)*(10*x^2 - 1)). (End)

E.g.f.: (9 + 45*x - 40*cosh(x) + 31*cosh(sqrt(10)*x) - 40*sinh(x) + 4*sqrt(10)*sinh(sqrt(10)*x))/45. - Stefano Spezia, Aug 11 2025