Collatz Conjecture
Also known as the Ulam Conjecture
, Kakutani Problem
, Syracuse Problem
or simply 3x+1
Pick a positive number x
:
The x sequence
The log(x) sequence
The rules →
Take any positive integer number. If the number is odd, multiply it by 3
and add 1
. If the number is even, divide by 2
. Repeat with every new number to get a sequence of numbers.
The conjecture →
EVERY positive integer, if you apply these rules, will end up in a 4 → 2 → 1 loop. This is commonly called the Collatz Conjecture
after German mathematician Luther Collatz.