Back in the 1980s when I first met the Collatz conjecture in a number theory textbook it was stated this way:
Start with any whole number n :
If n is even, reduce it by half, obtaining n/2.
If n is odd, increase it by half and round up to the nearest whole number, obtaining 3n/2 + 1/2 = (3n+1)/2. Collatz' conjecture asserts that, no matter what the starting number, iteration of this increase-decrease process will each time reach the number 1.
Showing posts with label unsolved. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unsolved. Show all posts
Sunday, March 27, 2011
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