OFFSET
1,3
COMMENTS
The 0's in the sequence are definite. There exists both a maximum and a minimum number that a(n) can be based on n. They are given in the programs below as Max(n) and Min(n), respectively.
It is known that a(22) = 5117557126, a(25) = 31301, a(29) = 35751665247, a(32) = 2112, a(33) = 1224103, a(37) = 111, a(40) = 102531321, a(48) = 25236435456, a(50) = 101, a(66) = 2524232305, a(78) = 453362316342, a(98) = 100, and a(100) = 20102.
There are an infinite number of nonzero entries. First, note if a(n) is nonzero, a(n) >= n. Further, a(9) = 10, a(98) = 100, a(997) = 1000, ..., a(10^k-k) = 10^k for all k >= 0.
For n = 21, 23, and 24, a(n) > 10^10.
For n in {26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49}, a(n) > 5*10^10.
For n in {51, 52, 53, ..., 64, 65} and {67, 68, 69, ..., 73, 74}, a(n) > 10^11.
For n in {75, 76, 77} and {79, 80, 81, ..., 96, 97, 99}, a(n) > 5*10^11.
A few nonzero terms were added by math4pad.net @PascalCardin
a(1000) = 1000000000000002002017, a(10000) = 0, a(1000000) = 1000002000010, a(10000000) = 200000020000011. It looks like a(10^k) in decimal consists of mostly the digits 0, 1 and 2. - Chai Wah Wu, Dec 07 2017
LINKS
Chai Wah Wu, Table of n, a(n) for n = 1..500 (n = 1..100 from Hiroaki Yamanouchi)
John D. Cook, Monday morning math puzzle (2012)
Dean Morrow, Cycles of a family of digit functions
EXAMPLE
12 is the smallest number such that 3^1 + 3^2 = 12 so a(3) = 12.
4624 is the smallest number such that 4^4 + 4^6 + 4^2 + 4^4 = 4624 so a(4) = 4624.
1033 is the smallest number such that 8^1 + 8^0 + 8^3 + 8^3 = 1033 so a(8) = 1033.
PROG
(PARI)
Min(n)=for(k=0, oo, if(n+k<=10^k, return(10^k)))
Max(n)=for(k=1, oo, if(k*n^9<=10^k-1, return(10^(k-1))))
a(n)={for(k=Min(n), Max(n), my(d=digits(k)); if(sum(i=1, #d, n^d[i])==k, return(k))); 0}
{ for(n=1, 100, print1(a(n), ", ")) } \\ Derek Orr, Aug 01 2014; corrected by Jason Yuen, Feb 25 2025
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn,base
AUTHOR
Derek Orr, Jan 19 2014
EXTENSIONS
More terms and edited extensively by Derek Orr, Aug 26 2014
a(21)-a(30) from Hiroaki Yamanouchi, Sep 27 2014
STATUS
approved