| t(x) = x/3 | if x ≡ 0 (mod 6) |
| t(x) = (2x - 2)/3 | if x ≡ 1 (mod 6) |
| t(x) = (5x - 4)/3 | if x ≡ 2 (mod 6) |
| t(x) = 4x/3 | if x ≡ 3 (mod 6) |
| t(x) = (5x - 8)/3 | if x ≡ 3 (mod 6) |
| t(x) = (4x - 2)/3 | if x ≡ 5 (mod 6). |
are printed and the number of steps taken to reach one of the integers 0, -2, 2, 4, -16, -26, -22, -32, 418 is recorded.
We conjecture that every trajectory will end in one of the cycles:
cycle 1: 0, 0
cycle 2: -6, -2, -6
cycle 3: 2, 2
cycle 4: -16, -28, -48, -16
cycle 5: 4, 4
cycle 6: -78, -26, -46, -78
cycle 7: -22, -38, -66, -22
cycle 8: -32, -56, -96, -32
cycle 9: 2454, 818, 1362, 454, 754, 1254, 418, 694, 1154, 1922, 3202, 5334, 1778, 2962, 4934, 8222, 13702, 22834, 38054, 63422, 105702, 35234, 58722, 19574, 32622, 10874, 18122, 30202, 50334, 16778, 27962, 46602, 15534, 5178, 1726, 2874, 958, 1594, 2654, 4422, 1474, 2454.
See G. Venturini, Iterates of Number Theoretic Functions with Periodic Rational Coefficients (Generalization of the 3x+1 Problem), Studies in Applied Mathematics, 86 (1992)185-218.
Last modified 24th February 2006
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