Re: Suggested method for returning a string from a C program?

Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> writes:

Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> writes:

On Tue, 18 Mar 2025 21:38:55 -0400
DFS <nospam@dfs.com> wrote:

I'm doing these algorithm problems at
https://cses.fi/problemset/list/
>
For instance:  Weird Algorithm
https://cses.fi/problemset/task/1068

>
It is not an interesting programming exercise.  But it looks to me as a
challenging math exercise.  I mean, how could we give a not too
pessimistic estimate for upper bound of length of the sequence that
starts at given n without running a full sequence?  Or estimate for
maximal value in the sequence?
So far, I found no answers.

>
You may console yourself with the knowledge that no one else
has either, even some of the most brilliant mathematicians
of the last hundred years.  In fact it isn't even known that
all starting points eventually terminate;  as far as what has
been proven goes, some starting points might just keep going
up forever.

I think someone has mentioned that this is called the Collatz
Conjecture.  According to Wikipedia, it's been shown to hold for all
positive integers up to 2.95e20 (which is just under 2**68).

--
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com
void Void(void) { Void(); } /* The recursive call of the void */