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Alexa, ask OEIS

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Bob Lyons has developed an Alexa Skill that allows Amazon Echo users to access the OEIS via their Echo. The name of the Alexa skill is “OEIS-Skill.” To use it, you must first enable the skill in the Alexa app on your smartphone/tablet.

Using the OEIS-Skill: Alexa, ask OEIS for ...

Using the OEIS-Skill, you can ask for a well-known integer sequence by name or description as follows:

  • Alexa, ask o. e. i. s. for the prime numbers
  • Alexa, ask o. e. i. s. for the Fibonacci sequence
  • Alexa, ask o. e. i. s. for the digits of Pi
  • Alexa, ask o. e. i. s. for the powers of two

You can also ask for a random nice sequence:

  • Alexa, ask o. e. i. s. for a nice sequence

You can ask for a sequence by A-number:

  • Alexa, ask o. e. i. s. for sequence A123456

Note: The A-number must be spoken character by character; for example, say A123456 as follows: A one two three four five six

You can also search for a sequence by terms. For example:

  • User: Alexa, ask o. e. i. s. to search by terms.
  • Alexa: What are the first few terms separated by commas?
  • User: Two comma three comma five.
  • Alexa: The terms so far are 2, 3 and 5. What are the next few terms separated by commas?
  • User: Seven comma eleven comma thirteen.
  • Alexa: The terms so far are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11 and 13. What are the next few terms separated by commas?
  • User: No more.
  • Alexa: Found 440 sequences matching those terms. Would you like to hear the first sequence?
  • User: Yes.

When searching by terms, please note the following:

  • Currently, Alexa can not reliably recognize more than three integers at a time. That is why the skill uses a dialog mode when searching by terms, such that the user says one to three integers at a time.
  • Say each term in the same manner that Alexa would say the term. For example, say 47 as "forty seven"; say 123 as "one hundred twenty three"; etc.
  • The word "comma" must separate terms. For example, if the terms are 2, 8 and 10, then say "two comma eight comma ten".
  • Use the word "minus" rather than "negative" to say a negative term; for example, say "minus five" for −5; say "minus twenty two" for −22; etc.

Note: The OEIS-Skill does a poor job at saying the mathematical notation in a sequence name; you can read the sequence information in the Alexa app on your smartphone/tablet.


If you have any feedback and/or questions about the OEIS-Skill, then please send an email to: fibonacciproducts (at) yahoo.com