The Recaman Sequence

0, 1, 3, 6, 2, 7, 13, 20, 12, 21, ...

Introduction

This project aims to find an efficient algorithm for generating elements of the Recaman Sequence. My hope is that some of the techniques used in this project will be applicable to other problems in the future.

The Recaman Sequence

Source: https://oeis.org/A005132

Created by Bernardo Recaman, the sequence is defined as follows:

a(0) = 0.

Where n is an integer and n > 0,

if n is positive and not already in the sequence a(n) = a(n - 1) - n.

otherwise, a(n) = a(n - 1) + n.

Informally, go backwards if you can, otherwise go forward.

It is, by definition, a surjection on the natural numbers. It remains to be proven whether the sequence is an injection on the natural numbers.

Complexity

Generating numbers for the sequence is easy. The magnitude of each "jump" always increases by 1, and can be determined trivially. However, every time a new member is generated, a database containing all previous members must be queried. Using a hash table, this can be done in 0(1) time for each element, but elements are never discarded, resulting in O(n) space complexity.

Proposed Solution

General Solution

While we don't know if the sequence injects the natural numbers, we do know that large ranges will be accounted for. Applying this knowledge, large ranges can be represented with a single integer or tuple. This will allow for individual elements to be removed from the database as ranges become full.

Inserting

• Each new value is stored in a base-level hash table T₁.
• When a range, R_1,1 is filled, R_1,1 is collapsed. (freed, and stored as an integer or tuple in the next level hash table T₂.)
• When a large range of ranges R_2,1 is filled, it stored in the next level hash T₃.
• this pattern may continue indefinitely.

Querying

• The value is first queried against the highest level hash table T_m.
• If not found, it is then queried against T_m-1.
• This continues to T₁.

Base-10 Solution

The Base-10 solution splits ranges by powers of 10. When 10 consecutive elements are filled, they are collapsed. When Querying the database, n/10^m is queried against T_m, followed by n/10^m-1 against T_m-1, and so on until the value is found.

Dynamic Solution

Ranges are determined dynamically, to avoid large ranges with small holes taking up too much space. For example, under the Base-10 solution, the values [0, 98]∪[100, 298] would not be colllapsed. The mechanics of this solution are yet to be determined.

Plan of Development

• Develop a naive solution using a single hash table.
• Develop a base-10 solution.
• Test the base-10 solution to asses improvements in space-efficiency.
• Deveop a dynamic solution.
• Test the dynamic solution to asses improvements in space-efficiency.

Author: Aaron Hadley
email: aahadley1@gmail.com