[seqfan] Re: Too many boring sequences

[Alonso Del Arte]

(Sorry about having sent this message incomplete before, my finger slipped
on the keyboard).

Almost any time I use Mathematica, I wind up with many sequences of
integers, rationals and sometimes even irrationals. (I was missing
Mathematica, last week I didn't get to use it at all because I don't have it
at work nor at home).

Half of those sequences turn out to be wrong because I misunderstood the
concept I was investigating or because I messed up the computational logic
by incorrectly nesting one of the steps (and that's when I don't create an
infinite loop). Like this morning, I was trying to compute Hilbert primes
but I was using the built-in GCD, which as you know, operates on Z rather
than H. As you can imagine, the sequence I was getting was primes of the
form 4k + 1 with a 9 stuck in between 5 and 13, but with none of the
"composite" Hilbert primes. That sequence is not in the OEIS nor should it
be.

Most of the time, I eventually get the logic right and get a sequence that
is in the OEIS. Of the ones that are not in the OEIS, I usually decide that
it is better to just save the Mathematica notebook and later on assess
whether I still think the sequence is interesting enough to be worth
bothering anyone else with it.

Only if I get a sequence that I am completely amazed by its absence from the
OEIS (like Andrew's orderly numbers) will I consider it worth Neil's
attention during this busy time of transition.

My advice to everyone else is: if you have a CAS, just keep saving your
notebooks until the Editorial Board has taken over the task of reviewing new
submissions. If you don't have a CAS, use your spreadsheet program or even
your text editor.

Alonso del Arte