Variations on a Theme of Collatz

Abstract

Consider the recursive relation generating a new positive integer $n_{\ell +1}$ from the positive integer $n_{\ell }$ according to the following simple rules: if the integer $n_{\ell }$ is odd, $n_{\ell +1}=3n_{\ell }+1$; if the integer $n_{\ell }$ is even, $n_{\ell +1}=n_{\ell }/2$. The so-called Collatz conjecture states that, starting from any positive integer $N$, the recursion characterized by the continued application of these rules ends up in the cycle $4,$ $2,1$. This conjecture is generally believed to be true (on the basis of extensive numerical checks), but it is as yet unproven. In this paper -- based on the assumption that the Collatz conjecture is indeed true -- we present a quite simple extension of it, which entails the possibility to divide all natural numbers into $3$ disjoint classes, to each of which we conjecture -- on the basis of (not very extensive) numerical checks -- $1/3$ of all natural numbers belong; or, somewhat equivalently, to $2$ disjoint classes, to which we conjecture that respectively $1/3$ and $2/3$ of all natural numbers belong.