help needed with sequence from a correspondent

[Jon Awbrey]

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just eyeballing what he's written, we have

1 odd followed by 2 odds followed by 4 odds followed by 8 odds ...

ja

N. J. A. Sloane wrote:
> 
> This came in today.
> 
> Would some seqfan please find out what the sequence really is,
> and help the writer submit it if necessary.
> 
> Post a note here if you are going to do so.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Neil
> 
> Reply-To: "Robert Stanjer" <rstanjer at blueyonder.co.uk>
> From: "Robert Stanjer" <ms015g2444_2 at blueyonder.co.uk>
> To: <njas at research.att.com>
> Subject: A new sequence??? A new symbol???
> Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2005 17:48:14 +0100
> 
> Hi,
> I have got a pattern, that isnt feathured in your site, it goes as =
> follow (first 30 terms):
> 1, 1, 3, 1, 3, 5, 7, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, =
> 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29.
> If you are struggling wondering how this works, try to visually =
> represent it as follows, there are a certain number of people sitting =
> around a table, with numbered seats, the person sitting on the first =
> seat stays alive, the second dies, third lives, fourth dies and so on, =
> eventually you will be left with one person, and the seat that that one =
> person is sitting on will be the term for that many number of people.
> I have tried countless times, to find an nth term for this sequence, but =
> i have had no luck, i have come up with this:
> ( x - 1 ) - 2( ( x - 1 ) -n )
> n = obviously the terms number
> x = the next, lowest number that is 2 to the power of anything
> As i have said earlier, i cannot find an nth term for this sequence, =
> because there are 2 variables, i am wondering, if there is a symbol for =
> such a process of working out the next number that is any number to the =
> power of any number.
> If there is not (which i highly doubt), i suggest something along the =
> lines of:
> S+2  S-2 S+3 S-3
> 
> S, stands for the symbol (most likely a greek letter), and the =
> subscripted + or - means the next, or the last, and the number refers to =
> what that number to the power of something will be, so:
> 
> S+2 = the next, lowest number that is 2anything
> 
> S-2 = the last, highest number that is 2anything
> 
> S+3 = the next, lowest number that is 3anything
> 
> S-3  = the last, highest number that is 3anything
> 
> Thank you for your time, and i hope you can reply to me as soon as =
> possible, to answer my question about wheter or not there is a symbol =
> for what i have desribed above, or if one will be needed.
> 
> Thanks alot,
> 
>                     Robert Stanjer


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