A362816 Lexicographically earliest sequence such that nowhere is a term a(n) contained in an arithmetic progression of length greater than a(n).

2, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 5, 2, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 5, 3, 5, 5, 5, 3, 3, 3, 5, 5, 2, 2, 3, 2, 2, 5, 5, 3, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2, 2, 5, 3, 3, 5, 3, 5, 5, 3, 3, 5, 5, 3, 5, 5, 5, 6, 5, 3, 5, 5, 6, 5, 3, 3, 3, 5, 3, 5, 5, 5, 3, 3, 3, 5, 5, 5, 6, 5, 5, 3, 2, 2, 5, 2, 2, 6

Offset: 1

Author

Samuel Harkness, May 04 2023

Keywords

• nonn

Comments

Progressions are terms at indices in arithmetic progression and with values which are some arithmetic progression too.

1 is never in the sequence, because if a(n) = 1, then {a(n),a(n+1)} would form an arithmetic progression greater than 1 in length.

Conjecture: only terms in A362815 appear in this sequence. This is true through the first 10^5 terms.

If this is true, then a(A003278) = 2, because the only way to constrain 2 would be {2,2,2}, and A003278 is defined by adding the smallest term which avoids any 3 term arithmetic progressions. If the conjecture is false, arithmetic progressions {4,3,2}, {8,5,2}, etc. may further constrain 2s.

Examples

			For n=9 first we check 1 (never in the sequence). If a(9) were 2, {a(1),a(5),a(9)} = {2,2,2} would form an arithmetic progression of length 3 with a minimum value of 2; this is not allowed. Next, if a(9) were 3, {a(6),a(7),a(8),a(9)} = {3,3,3,3} would form an arithmetic progression of length 4 with a minimum value of 3; this is not allowed. Next, if a(9) were 4, {a(5),a(7),a(9)} = {2,3,4} would form an arithmetic progression of length 3 with a minimum value of 2; this is not allowed. Last, a(9) = 5 fits the definition, as no arithmetic progressions p can be made such that length(p) > min (p) and 5 is the least positive integer where this is satisfied, so a(9) = 5.
		

Links

• Neal Gersh Tolunsky, Table of n, a(n) for n = 1..10000
• Samuel Harkness, MATLAB program

Crossrefs

Cf. A362815, A363011 (indices of record highs), A003278, A090822, A281579.

Programs

MATLAB

See Links section.