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A099053 a(n) is the smallest number of 1s and 2s that are needed to construct n using any number of +, -, *, ^ signs but not allowing concatenation of digits. 6
1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 5, 5, 5, 4, 5, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 5, 5 (list; graph; refs; listen; history; internal format)
OFFSET

1,3

COMMENTS

Subexpressions can be grouped as needed; equivalently, any number of parentheses can be used in the expression.

Yet another definition of the complexity of a number.

It can be assumed that no subexpression can be <= 0. The only way to generate a negative value is to take a-b with a < b; taking b-a instead gives the absolute value of this expression. For any further number generated using the negative value, the absolute value of that number is obtainable using the absolute value of the subexpression(s). Generating an intermediate zero is useless. - Franklin T. Adams-Watters, Jul 29 2011.

EXAMPLE

1 = 1, so has complexity 1.

2 = 2, so has complexity 1.

3 = 1+2, so has complexity 2.

4 = 2+2 = 2*2 = 2^2, so has complexity 2.

5 = 2+1+2, so has complexity 3.

...

16 = 2^2^2, so has complexity 3.

CROSSREFS

Positions of records are given in A060274.

Sequence in context: A045430 A067693 A173419 * A075167 A057935 A124831

Adjacent sequences:  A099050 A099051 A099052 * A099054 A099055 A099056

KEYWORD

nonn,more

AUTHOR

Tim Peters (tim.one(AT)comcast.net), Nov 14 2004

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Last modified February 15 04:23 EST 2012. Contains 205694 sequences.