0,2

When the multiplier in the recurrence is 2 and the recurrence has two terms inside a square root, we have the Graham-Pollak sequence, where there is a remarkable exact explicit formula for a(n) in terms of the union of the set of integers and the set of integer multiples of Sqrt(2). As Weisstein summarizes Borwein & Bailey: "It is not known if sequences such as ... a(n) = a(n) = Floor((2*a(n-1)*(a(n-1)+1)*(a(n-1)+2))^(1/3)) have corresponding properties." This sequence is the given one, having the multiplier in the recurrence as 2 and three terms inside a cube root and with a(0) = 1. Through n=50, the primes are when n = 1, 2, 3, 6, 13, 20, 21, 24, 25, 31. Through n=50, the semiprimes are when n = 4, 7, 9, 10, 19, 23, 32, 34, 36, 40, 42, 47, 49.

Borwein, J. and Bailey, D., Mathematics by Experiment: Plausible Reasoning in the 21st Century. Natick, MA: A. K. Peters, 2003.

R. L. Graham and H. O. Pollak, Note on a nonlinear recurrence related to sqrt(2), Mathematics Magazine, Volume 43, Pages 143-145, 1970. Zbl 201.04705.

Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics, Graham-Pollak sequence

a(0) = 1, a(n) = Floor((2*a(n-1)*(a(n-1)+1)*(a(n-1)+2))^(1/3))

a(6) = 11 because a(5) = 8; so a(6) = Floor((2*8*(8+1)*(8+2))^(1/3))

= floor(1440^(1/3)) = 11, which happens to be prime.

a(45) = 119209 because a(44) = 94616, so a(45) = Floor((2*94616*(94616+1)*(94616+2))^(1/3)) = floor(1694094050176992^(1/3)) = 119209 = 23 * 71 * 73, which happens to be a 3-brilliant number.

Cf. A001521, A091522, A091523.

Sequence in context: A039855 A035950 A133153 this_sequence A115671 A105782 A035956

Adjacent sequences: A100670 A100671 A100672 this_sequence A100674 A100675 A100676

easy,nonn

Jonathan Vos Post (jvospost3(AT)gmail.com), Dec 06 2004