Generalized Collatz maps with almost bounded orbits

The notorious Collatz conjecture asks if the orbit of every \(N\geqslant1\) under iteration of the Collatz map \(C\colon\mathbb{N}\to\mathbb{N}\) defined by \(C(n)=n/2\) if \(n\) is even and \(C(n)=3n+1\) if \(n\) is odd eventually reaches the repeating cycle \(1,4,2\). Despite the seeming adamantine impenetrability of the problem, strong enough to give the impression that we have not yet developed the mathematics for such problems, interesting partial progress has been made. Most relevant to this paper is a breakthrough due to \textit{T. Tao} [Forum Math. Pi 10, Paper No. e12, 56 p. (2022; Zbl 1502.11035)], who used probabilistic methods to show that for any function \(f\colon\mathbb{N}\to\mathbb{N}\) satisfying \(\lim_{n\to\infty}f(n)=\infty\) the set \(\{N\in\mathbb{N}\mid\min_{k\geqslant1}C^k(N)>f(N)\}\) has zero logarithmic density. Among earlier work, \textit{J. H. Conway} [in: The ultimate challenge. The \(3x+1\) problem. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS). 219--223 (2010; Zbl 1216.11109)] defined families of generalized Collatz maps, and the main result here is that under suitable conditions on the parameters involved the result of Tao [loc. cit.] extends to this setting.

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