Comment on What is your interesting fact or knowledge that is completely useless that you wish to share?
HexesofVexes@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
It’s possible to define an infinite sequence whose nth term must exist before it’s first.
Comment on What is your interesting fact or knowledge that is completely useless that you wish to share?
HexesofVexes@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
It’s possible to define an infinite sequence whose nth term must exist before it’s first.
stoicmaverick@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
do it now…
HexesofVexes@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Let $\mu(x)=0$ if $\exists y<x\mu(y)=0$ or $x$ is the 20 millionth prime. $\mu(x)=\mu(x+1)+1$ otherwise. The elements of the sequence only become defined once the 20 millionth prime is found; till then they’ve yet to be constructed.
Bonus: The sequence $\nu$ is defined as follows.
Let $\nu(x)=0$ if $\exists y\leq x\mu(y)$ is perfect. $\nu(x)=\nu(x+1)+1$ otherwise.
We’re not sure if this is a sequence, even though it is algorithmically definable. Its existence relies on the existence of an odd perfect number.