ISSN: xxxx-xxxx (IJMRP) Volume (1) Issue (9)

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY

RESEARCH & PUBLICATION
Journal Homepage: - www.journalijmrp.com

RESEARCH ARTICLE

A PROOF FOR COLLATZ CONJECTURE

Nishad T M
Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, METS College of Advanced Studies, Mala, Thrissur.

Abstract:-
Collatz Conjecture is considered as unsolved since 1937. In this article a proof is suggested.

Copy Right, IJMRP, 2019,. All rights reserved.

Introduction:-
Collatz Conjecture is considered as unsolved since 1937. In this article a proof is suggested.

Collatz Conjecture:
For any natural number n, the Hailstone sequence starting with n eventually ends in 1.

Proof:
Let An be the set of elements that represents the Hailstone sequence for n.
1. A1 = { 1}
2. A 2= { 2,1}
3. A3 = { 3,10,5,16,8,4,2,1}
4. A4 = { 4,2,1}

Using set inclusion relation we shall find the following observations

Observation 1
1. A1 ⊂ A 2 ⊂ A4 ⊂ A 8 ⊂ …..
2. A 3 ⊂ A6 ⊂ A 12 ⊂ …..
3. A 5 ⊂ A10 ⊂ A 20 ⊂ …..
4. A 7 ⊂ A14 ⊂ A 28 ⊂ …..
5. A 9 ⊂ A18 ⊂ A 36 ⊂ …..
6. A 11 ⊂ A22 ⊂ A44 ⊂ …..
7. A 13 ⊂ A26 ⊂ A52 ⊂ …..

Observation 2
If p is an odd number greater than 1,
1. 2.1: 3p+1 is even and A3p+1 ⊂ A p.
2. 2.2: If (3p+1)/2 is odd, (3p+1)/2 > p and A(3p+1)/2 ⊂ A 3p+1 ⊂ A p .
3. 2.3: If (3p+1)/4 is odd, (3p+1)/4 < p and A(3p+1)/4 ⊂ A(3p+1)/2 ⊂ A 3p+1 ⊂ A p .
4. 2.4: If (3p+1)/8 is odd, (3p+1)/8 < p and A(3p+1)/8 ⊂ A(3p+1)/4 ⊂ A(3p+1)/2 ⊂ A 3p+1 ⊂ A p .

To prove Collatz conjecture , we have to show that for any natural number n, the Hailstone sequence starting
with n eventually ends in 1.
1. It is enough to prove that observation 1 consists the sets An for all natural numbers n ∈ N.

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2. Observation 2 implies that there exist Ap for all odd p >1.

3. For this ,we have to show that if we start with any odd n >1, the terms of hailstone sequence contain either an
odd number greater than n or an odd number less than n. Observation 2.2 ,2.3 and 2.4 proves this.
4. If p is a new odd number greater than 1 , then observation 2.2 implies , the corresponding hailstone sequence
will contain a greater odd number .Observation 2.3 and 2.4 implies the terms will contain a lesser odd number.
5. An even number can be written twice an odd number, and An exists for all odd n, there exists An for all even n
by Observation 1.
6. Since A1 = { 1} corresponds to the hailstone sequence for the least odd number 1 and A1 is subset of all An’s,
for any natural number n, the hailstone sequence staring with n eventually ends in 1.

Conclusion:-
Collatz Conjecture is considered as unsolved since 1937. In this article a proof is suggested.

Reference:-
1. Collatz Conjecture, Internet.
2. Hailstone Sequence, Internet.