On a Family of Solutions to Arithmetic Differential Equations Involving the Collatz Map
Zachary P. Bradshaw
Advanced Processing Branch
Naval Surface Warfare Center
Panama City, FL 32407
USA
Abstract:
The arithmetic derivative is a nonlinear derivation on the
positive integers which forms a natural analog of the conventional
derivative. While exploring solutions to arithmetic differential
equations, we stumbled across a curious pattern in the positive integers
for which the arithmetic derivative and the Collatz map commute. Here
we report on these empirical findings, and prove several analytical results
on the form of such numbers. Among these findings is the existence of
a family of semiprime numbers which are mapped by the Collatz function
to another semiprime having a sum of prime factors which is half of the
original semiprime's. We show that this family of semiprimes solves the
commutation problem and that the sum of their reciprocals converges.
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(Concerned with sequences
A001248
A001359
A005384
A046132
A376275.)
Received November 15 2024; revised versions received February 9 2025; February 13 2025.
Published in Journal of Integer Sequences,
February 14 2025.
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