A377384 a(n) is the number of iterations that n requires to reach a noninteger or a factorial number under the map x -> x / f(x), where f(k) = A034968(k) is the sum of digits in the factorial-base representation of k; a(n) = 0 if n is a factorial number.

0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1

Offset: 1

Author

Amiram Eldar, Oct 27 2024

Keywords

• nonn
• easy
• base

Comments

The factorial numbers are fixed points of the map, since f(k!) = 1 for all k >= 0. Therefore they are arbitrarily assigned the value a(k!) = 0.

Each number n starts a chain of a(n) integers: n, n/f(n), (n/f(n))/f(n/f(n)), ..., of them the first a(n)-1 integers are factorial-base Niven numbers (A118363).

Examples

			a(8) = 2 since 8/f(8) = 4 and 4/f(4) = 2 is a factorial number that is reached after 2 iterations.
a(27) = 3 since 27/f(27) = 9, 9/f(9) = 3 and 3/f(3) = 3/2 is a noninteger that is reached after 3 iterations.
		

Links

• Amiram Eldar, Table of n, a(n) for n = 1..10000

Crossrefs

Cf. A000005, A000142, A034968, A118363, A286607, A377385, A377386.

Analogous sequences: A376615 (binary), A377208 (Zeckendorf).

Programs

Mathematica

fdigsum[n_] := Module[{k = n, m = 2, r, s = 0}, While[{k, r} = QuotientRemainder[k, m]; k != 0 || r != 0, s += r; m++]; s]; a[n_] := a[n] = Module[{s = fdigsum[n]}, If[s == 1, 0, If[!Divisible[n, s], 1, 1 + a[n/s]]]]; Array[a, 100]

PARI

fdigsum(n) = {my(k = n, m = 2, r, s = 0); while([k, r] = divrem(k, m); k != 0 || r != 0, s += r; m++); s;}
a(n) = {my(f = fdigsum(n)); if(f == 1, 0, if(n % f, 1, 1 + a(n/f)));}

Python

def f(n, p=2): return n if n
Michael S. Branicky, Oct 27 2024

Formula

a(n) = 0 if and only if n is in A000142 (by definition).

a(n) = 1 if and only if n is in A286607.

a(n) >= 2 if and only if n is in A118363 \ A000142 (i.e., n is a factorial-base Niven number that is not a factorial number).

a(n) >= 3 if and only if n is in A377385 \ A000142.

a(n) >= 4 if and only if n is in A377386 \ A000142.

a(n) < A000005(n).