"3x+1 Numbers (Wasps) (excerpt)" genre: Experimental
	lo fi play (dial-up) hi fi play (broadband) download (0.3 MB)	email track to a friend	add to My.MP3
	Sonification of the '3x+1' problem, also known as the Collatz problem, or hailstone numbers. The controlling function is x = {3x+1 if x = 1 mod 2; x/2 if x = 0 mod 2}, that is, 3x+1 if x is odd; x/2 if x is even. Starting with any number x, the function is iterated until the number 1 is reached, yielding an infinite loop 4,2,1,4,2,1...It is conjectured that all numbers eventually 'fall' to 1, thus entering the 4,2,1 loop. Proving it seems to be extremely difficult. The series of the first 40000 natural numbers were calculated, yielding a four million data set. If any number in the series is greater than 49, its digits are added until the result is no greater than 49. The data set was then normalized in the interval [-1, 1] and read directly at 44.1 KHz. The resulting wave is extremely complex, having a large amount of structure in all frequencies. It resembles the sound one would hear in the heart of a wasp's nest!
	CD: Fractal Sounds - Volume 1 Credits: Gustavo Diaz-Jerez

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).