OFFSET
0,3
LINKS
David Nacin, a(n)/sqrt{n}
EXAMPLE
For n=2, the points visited are 2,1,-1,-4,0 with the moves from 2 to 1, 1 to -1, and -1 to -4 being to the left, and the move from -4 to 0 being to the right, hence a(2) = 3 - 1 = 2.
PROG
(Python)
#spots - positions in order with possible repetition
#flee - positions from which we move away from zero with possible repetition
#stuck - positions from which we move to a spot already visited with possible repetition
def trip(n):
stucklist = list()
spotsvisited = [n]
leavingspots = list()
turn = 0
forbidden = {n}
while n != 0:
turn += 1
sign = n // abs(n)
st = sign * turn
if n - st not in forbidden:
n = n - st
else:
leavingspots.append(n)
if n + st in forbidden:
stucklist.append(n)
n = n + st
spotsvisited.append(n)
forbidden.add(n)
return {'stuck':stucklist, 'spots':spotsvisited,
'turns':turn, 'flee':leavingspots}
def sgn(x):
return x//abs(x)
#Actual sequence
def a(n):
d = trip(n)
return sum(sgn(d['spots'][i] - d['spots'][i+1]) for i in range(d['turns']))
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
David Nacin, Mar 10 2019
STATUS
approved