OFFSET
0,4
COMMENTS
A very near generalization of the Hofstadter G-sequence A005206 since it is part of the following family of sequences (which would give for k=1 the original G-sequence):
a(n)=n-a(a(n-k)) with a(0)=a(1)=...=a(k-1)=0 with k=1,2,3... (here k=3) - for general information about that family see A163873) Every a(n) occurs either exactly one or exactly four times (except from the initial values). A block of four occurrences of the same number n is after the first one interrupted by the following two elements: n+1, n+2 (e.g. see from a(18) to a(23): 12, 13, 14, 12, 12, 12).
Since every natural number occurs in the sequence at least once and 0<=a(n)<=n for all n the elements can be ordered in such a way that every n is connected to its a(n) in a tree structure so that:
..a..
..|..
.a(n)
This will give for the first 41 elements the following (quadrary) tree:
.......3..._..................................
...../.|.\..\__...............................
..../..|..\....\__............................
.../...|...\......\__.........................
../....|....\........\........................
.......6.....7........8.......................
.......|.....|........|.......................
.......9.....10.......11......................
....../.\\\../......../.......................
...../...\\\/________/_________...............
..../.....\/________/________..\..............
.../....../\_______/____.....\..\.............
...|......|......./.....\.....\..\............
..12......13....14.....15.....16..17..........
...|\\\.../...../.......\......\...\..........
...|.\\\_/_____/___......\......\...\.........
...|..\\/_____/__..\......\......\...\........
...|...X_____/_..\..\......\......\...\.......
...|../...../..\..\..\......|......|...|......
..18..19..20...21.22.23.....24.....25..26.....
..|\\\./../.....\..\..\.....|\\\.../.../......
..|.\\X__/____...\..\..\....|.\\\_/___/___....
..|..X\_/___..\...\..\..\...|..\\/___/__..\...
..|./.\/__..\..\...\..\..\..|...X___/_..\..\..
../.|..\..\..\..\...|..|..|.|../.../..\..\..\.
.27.28.29.30.31.32.33.34.35.36.37.38..39.40.41
(X means two crossing paths)
Conjecture: This features a certain structure (similar to the G-sequence A005206 or other sequences of this family: A163875 and A163873). If the (below) following two constructs (C and D) are added on top of their ends (either marked with C or D) one will (if starting with one instance of D) receive the above tree (x marks a node, o marks spaces for nodes that are not part of the construct but will be filled by the other construct):
Diagram of D:
......x...........
..../..\\\........
.../....\\.\......
..|......\\..\....
..|.......\.\..\..
..D..o.o...x.x..x.
...........|.|..|.
...........D.C..C.
(o will be filled by C)
Diagram of C:
\\...x.
\\\./..
.\\/...
../\\..
./.\\\.
C...\\\
(This means construct C crosses on its way from a(n) to n exactly three other paths, e.g. from 25 to 37)
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
Daniel Platt (d.platt(AT)web.de), Aug 08 2009, Sep 14 2009
STATUS
approved