Exact valuation conjecture for Somos-4 and Somos-5 sequences

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Let (τn)(\tau_n) be the terms of the Somos-kk sequence with k∈{4,5}k\in\{4,5\}, with parameters α=β=1\alpha=\beta=1 and initial values

τ1=⋯=τk=1.\tau_1=\cdots=\tau_k=1.

Set d=2n−k−1d=2n-k-1, and define

q={τn,(k+1)∤n,taun/2,(k+1)∣n.q=\begin{cases}\tau_n,&(k+1)\nmid n,\\tau_n/2,&(k+1)\mid n.\end{cases}

Exact valuation conjecture. For the relevant integers mm and ll, one has

qm+1∣τl⟺l=n+(qm−12+kqm)d.q^{m+1}\mid\tau_l\quad\Longleftrightarrow\quad l=n+\left(\frac{q^m-1}{2}+kq^m\right)d.

The claim refines the known arithmetic divisibility pattern for the unit-initial-value Somos-4 and Somos-5 sequences. It is proposed conditionally on proving that, for odd primes, the multiples of a prime in these sequences are not divisible by exactly the same power of that prime; the supplied text does not establish the conjecture or specify the ranges of mm and ll.

References

Primary source

Peter H van der Kamp, “Somos-4 and Somos-5 are arithmetic divisibility sequences”, arXiv:1505.00194 (2015).

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