OFFSET
1,3
COMMENTS
If instead of the least exponent, one looks at the greatest exponent, then b(n) ~ n/0.1
Define f(x) to be the number of exponents k which have x ones in the decimal expansion of 11^k. Then f(x) = 1 for x = {0, 9, 10, 14, 17, 20, 23}.
It is provable that a(0) = -1 using the expansion of (x+y)^n. Conjecture: a(n) = -1 for n = 18622, 62206, 74453, 133125, etc. Search limit was k=1.5*10^6.
EXAMPLE
a(1) = 0 since 11^0 = 1 has one occurrence of the decimal digit 1.
a(2) = 1 since 11^1 = 11 which has just two decimal digits of 1;
a(3) = 5 since 11^5 = 161051 which has just three decimal digits of 1;
a(4) = 11 since 11^11 = 285311670611 which has just four decimal digits of 1; etc.
MATHEMATICA
t[_] := -1; k = 0; While[k < 1000, a = DigitCount[11^k, 10, 1]; If[t[a] == -1, t[a] = k]; k++]; t /@ Range[0, 100]
PROG
(PARI) a(n) = my(k=0); while (#select(x->(x==1), digits(11^k)) != n, k++); k; \\ Michel Marcus, Mar 04 2025
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
base,easy,sign
AUTHOR
Robert G. Wilson v, Mar 03 2025
STATUS
approved
