OFFSET
1,1
COMMENTS
From Glen Whitney, Sep 14 2022: (Start)
If a(n) > 3 and n > 5, then the final digit of n is 4 or 9.
a(n) > 0 if and only if n appears in A005097.
More generally, a(n) > m if and only if all of 2^k(n+1) - 1 for 0 <= k <= m are in A005097.
Creating a tile labeled by a multiple of p for a prime p with a relatively large value of a(p) is considered valuable in the game DIVE (see links). (End)
LINKS
Glen Whitney, Table of n, a(n) for n = 1..10000
Number-theoretic puzzle game DIVE
Glen Whitney, Python program to compute a(n)
EXAMPLE
f(2) = 5, f(f(2)) = 11, f(f(f(2))) = 23, f(f(f(f(2)))) = 47, all prime, but f^5(2) = 95 is not prime, so a(2) = 4.
MATHEMATICA
f[n_] := Module[{a = 2n + 1, i = 0}, While[PrimeQ[a], i++; a = 2a + 1]; i]; Table[f[i], {i, 1, 60}]
PROG
(PARI) a(n) = {my(nb = 0, newn); while (isprime(newn=2*n+1), nb++; n = newn); nb; } \\ Michel Marcus, Nov 10 2018
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
Joseph L. Pe, Feb 14 2002
EXTENSIONS
More terms from Michel Marcus, Nov 10 2018
STATUS
approved