Re: [math-fun] A few self-descriptive fractal sequences
Kerry writes: << . . . [several interesting examples of "fractal" sequences, and] . . . Since the exact manner in which a sequence can contain copies of itself varies, I don't know that there is an exact definition of a fractal sequence.
Hmm. Suppose we take a random sequence of 0's and 1's. With probability 1, every initial string of this sequence is later repeated, nay, repeated infinitely often. Does that mean that except for a set of measure zero (in the product space {0,1}^N endowed with the product measure {1/2,1/2}^N), every sequence is fractal? (N is your favorite definition of the natural numbers.) --Dan
Mention of the Thue-Morse and `Rabbit' sequences gives me the opportunity to rabbit on about some private passions. Both are examples of a class called "D0L", characterised as fixed points of some context-free morphism or "inflation rule", which is just one of many ways in which the self-similarity remarked on might be formalised. I prefer to discuss what I christen "D0LEC" sequences, in an attempt to define a complexity class above periodic and linear recurring sequences (over a finite domain), and including such things as automatic or characteristic or 2-distance sequences. A D0LEC sequence is defined by two morphisms (maps from symbols to strings), both having constant length of RHS string: an "inflation" morphism generating the fixed point sequence via iteration, supplemented by an "extension" morphism translating that into another final sequence via a single application. Example: To define the Thue-Morse sequence, instead of using the elegant morphism 0 -> 01, 1 -> 10 we could be particularly perverse and define it by the inflation f: A -> BC, B -> BD, C -> CA, D -> CB, generating the one-sided sequence on 4 symbols (starting from B) V_n = BDCBCABD CABCBDCB CABCBDCA BDCBCABD ... , followed by the binary extension A -> 0, B -> 0, C -> 1, D -> 1, so generating the usual binary Thue-Morse T_n = 01101001 10010110 10010110 01101001 ... ; or alternatively, we might apply the ternary extension A -> 0,\ B -> 1,\ C -> 2,\ D -> 0, so generating the ternary Thue-Morse U_n = 10212010 20121021 20121020 10212012 ... , in which successive pairs of binary digits have been re-coded as single ternary digits U_n = (2 T_n + T_{n+1}) mod 3. Why bother? It is well-known that U_n is "square-free", having no (nonempty) block of digits followed immediately by a copy of itself; and that T_n is "cube-free", having no block followed by two copies. The proofs of these facts traditionally seem to involve an awful lot of tricky chasing down alternative branches; I claim that in contrast, it is (relatively) easy to show that the quaternary sequence V_n is square-free, whence the results for U_n, T_n follow straightforwardly. But we can do more ... By inspection, it is easily established that no infinite binary sequence can be square-free: for example, T_n contains the blocks 00, 11, 10011001, 01100110, ... However, we might reasonably enquire how closely a binary sequence may approach this arcadian state. A sequence will be defined "k-square-free" if no block of length exceeding k/2 is squared: for example, the finite string 010011000111001101 is 4-square-free. So now I ask: What is the smallest k for which some k-square-free binary sequence exists? Fred Lunnon, Maynooth Dec 2005
Here are four more self-descriptive fractal sequences. In each case, each element describes the length and first term of a finite arithmetic sequence. For example, the initial 2 in the first sequence describes the two-term run 2, 3. The following 3s both describe the three-term runs 3, 4, 5. Replace each finite sequence by its length (or its first term) and recover the original infinite sequence. 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 5, 4, 5, 6, 7, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 3, 4, 5, ... 3, 4, 5, 4, 5, 6, 7, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 4, 5, 6, 7, 5, 6, 7, 8, ... 4, 5, 6, 7, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, ... 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 8, 9, ... Kerry
participants (3)
-
dasimov@earthlink.net -
Fred lunnon -
Kerry Mitchell