OFFSET
0,5
COMMENTS
The water retention model for mathematical surfaces has previously looked at lakes and ponds. This sequence looks at the maximum possible height of an island above water level in a number square.
The smallest possible water elevation will always be composed of an eight-cell lake or pond with a spillway value of nine. This moat is not centered in a(n) > 5 but has the square's edge as one of its borders.
A number square contains the numbers 1 to n^2 without repeats.
The larger terms in this sequence are a(n) = n*(n+6) or A028560.
LINKS
FORMULA
Conjectures from Colin Barker, May 09 2017: (Start)
G.f.: x^4*(16 - 21*x + 7*x^2) / (1 - x)^3.
a(n) = n^2 + 2*n - 8 for n>3.
a(n) = 3*a(n-1) - 3*a(n-2) + a(n-3) for n>6.
(End)
EXAMPLE
For the 6 X 6 number square the largest value is 36 which is assigned to the single-cell island.
I only include the pertinent moat, spillway, and island values for the 6 X 6 example.
( 1 2 3 )
( 8 36 4 9 )
( 7 6 5 )
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
Craig Knecht, May 09 2017
STATUS
approved