3x+1 inverse orbit generating functions almost always have natural boundaries

Abstract: The

3 x + k

function

T_{k} (n)

sends

n

to

(3 n + k) / 2

resp.

n / 2,

according as

n

is odd, resp. even, where

. The map

T_{k} (c d o t)

sends integers to integers, and for

m g e 1

let

n i g h t a r r o w m

mean that

m

is in the forward orbit of

n

under iteration of

T_{k} (c d o t) .

We consider the generating functions

f_{k, m} (z) = s u m_{n > 0, n i g h t a r r o w m} z^{n},

which are holomorphic in the unit disk. We give sufficient conditions on

(k, m)

for the functions

f_{k, m} (z)

have the unit circle

| z | = 1

as a natural boundary to analytic continuation. For the

3 x + 1

function these conditions hold for all

m g e 1

to show that

f_{1, m} (z)

has the unit circle as a natural boundary except possibly for

m = 1, 2, 4

and

8

. The

3 x + 1

Conjecture is equivalent to the assertion that

f_{1, m} (z)

is a rational function of

z

for the remaining values

m = 1, 2, 4, 8

.

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