Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ittvax!bunker!chuck From: chuck@bunker.UUCP (Chuck Heaton) Newsgroups: net.math Subject: Hoffstuff Message-ID: <500@bunker.UUCP> Date: Mon, 20-Aug-84 13:11:59 EDT Article-I.D.: bunker.500 Posted: Mon Aug 20 13:11:59 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 22-Aug-84 03:38:03 EDT Lines: 22 Hi. Douglas Hoffstadter (sp.?) in his book "Godel, Escher, Bach", (a wonderful work if you aren't familiar with it) discussed a function with some rather intriguing properties. The function was defined as follows: h[0] = 0; h[k] = k - h[h[k-1]]; Actually, it is the differences, g[n] = h[n] - h[n-1] (n>0) that are most interesting. You can play with the patterns generated yourself, but what I am concerned with is a definition, recursive or otherwise, for g[] that does NOT involve h[]. Any ideas ??? I fooled around with this for awhile and gave up. Either I have some mental block here, or it realy is a difficult problem. Any responses to this newsgroup would be greatly appreciated. Also, any other such 'fun' things would be welcomed with open arms (& pencil, paper, computer, .....). Thanks. Chuck Heaton