Reputation: 25
I am looking for a sequence formula. The sequence is {1,5,18, 56,160,432}.
I tried using wolframs mathematica - FindSequenceFunction and FindGeneratingFunction. First one did not even give me a function, second one gave me 1-n/(1-2n)^3 which i dont see how this can be right. Maybe I dont understand mathematica properly. Thanks for help
Upvotes: 2
Views: 402
Reputation: 8655
fn[x_] := Evaluate[
FindGeneratingFunction[{1, 5, 18, 56, 160, 432}, x]]
Series[fn[x], {x, 0, 5}]
1 + 5 x + 18 x^2 + 56 x^3 + 160 x^4 + 432 x^5 + O[x]^6
FindSequenceFunction
needs another couple of terms before it nails it
FindSequenceFunction[{1, 5, 18, 56, 160, 432, 1120, 2816}, n]
2^(-3 + n) n (3 + n)
Same as OEIS A001793
Upvotes: 1
Reputation: 3977
Go to
https://oeis.org/
and enter
1,5,18,56,160,432
and tap Search
and in a fraction of a second it finds that you are not the first person looking at that sequence, that sequence has actually shown up in two different contexts.
Upvotes: 0