A hidden signal in the Ulam sequence

DOI10.1080/10586458.2016.1204638zbMATH Open1422.11019arXiv1507.00267OpenAlexW2963706848MaRDI QIDQ4595628FDOQ4595628

Authors: Stefan Steinerberger 

Publication date: 5 December 2017

Published in: Experimental Mathematics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: The Ulam sequence is defined as $a_1=1,a_2=2$ and $a_n$ being the smallest integer that can be written as the sum of two distinct earlier elements in a unique way. This gives ${\displaystyle }$1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 16, 18, 26, 28, 36, 38, 47, dots${\displaystyle }$ Ulam remarked that understanding the sequence, which has been described as 'quite erratic', seems difficult and indeed nothing is known. We report the empirical discovery of a surprising global rigidity phenomenon: there seems to exist a real $alphasim2.5714474995dots$ such that ${\displaystyle }$left{alpha a_n: nin mathbb{N} ight} quad mbox{mod}~2pi quad mbox{generates an absolutely continuous extit{non-uniform} measure}${\displaystyle }$ supported on a subset of $mathbbT$. Indeed, for the first $10^7$ elements of Ulam's sequence, ${\displaystyle }$ cos{left( 2.5714474995~ a_n ight)} < 0 qquad mbox{for all}~a_n otin left{2, 3, 47, 69 ight}.${\displaystyle }$ The same phenomenon arises for some other initial conditions $a_1,a_2$: the distribution functions look very different from each other and have curious shapes. A similar but more subtle phenomenon seems to arise in Lagarias' variant of MacMahon's 'primes of measurement' sequence.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1507.00267

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zbMATH Keywords

combinatorial number theoryadditive number theoryUlam sequence

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Other combinatorial number theory (11B75) Relations between ergodic theory and number theory (37A44)

Cited In (6)

• Rigidity of Ulam sets and sequences
• The unreasonable rigidity of Ulam sequences
• Ulam Sequences and Ulam Sets
• Ulam Sets in New Settings
• The Ulam Sequence of the Integer Polynomial Ring
• Structures in additive sequences

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