[net.math] Question on recursive defnd function

david@ecrcvax.UUCP (David McKelvie) (10/14/85)

	*
	
	A while ago there was a letter in this newsletter about the following
	function ( first mentioned, as far as I know, in the book 
	'Godel,Escher,Bach'):-
		f(0) = 1
		f(1) = 1
		f(n) = f( n - f(n-1) ) + f( n - f(n-2) )   for all n >= 2

	I may be missing something obvious, but has anyone or can anyone
	prove that these equations define a well-defined function N --> N ?
	I.e.
		f(n) <= n + 1     for all n >= 0

	so that the inner terms in the third equation are >= 0 .
	Obviously some sort of induction is needed, but finding the correct
	inductive hypothesis seems difficult.
-- 

David Mckelvie
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