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concept1937

The Collatz Conjecture

Disciplines:
mathematics

Summary

The Collatz conjecture (3n+1 conjecture): starting from any positive integer, if even divide by 2, if odd multiply by 3 and add 1 — the conjecture states this process always eventually reaches 1. Unsolved since 1937.

Core Contribution

The simplest unsolved problem in mathematics — every amateur can understand the question, but 85 years of work by professional mathematicians has failed to prove or disprove it. Erdős said 'Mathematics is not yet ready for such problems.'

Historical Influences

Lothar Collatz

Intellectual Lineage

No conceptual lineage found.

Allied Works

Fermat's Last TheoremRiemann Hypothesis

Contemporaries & Peers

No recorded contemporaries.

Minds Influenced

No recorded minds influenced.

Intellectual Posterity

Unsolved Problems in Mathematics

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The Collatz Conjecture

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