Bakuage Offers Prize of 120 Million JPY to Whoever Solves Collatz Conjecture, Math Problem Unsolved for 84 Years

prnewswire. com ^ | 7/7/2021 | Staff

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Bakuage Co., Ltd. Jul 07, 2021, 03:00 ET

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TOKYO, July 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

- Highest Prize for Any Unsolved Problem in Mathematics -

Bakuage Co., Ltd. headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, announced on July 7, 2021, that it is offering a prize of 120 million Japanese yen (*) to anyone who has revealed the truth of the Collatz conjecture, an unsolved mathematical problem.

(*) 120 million Japanese yen is about US$1,085,000 (1US$=JPY110.50 as of June 29, 2021).

Image: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M106706/202106236656/_prw_PI1fl_dI1163aV.png

- What is Collatz conjecture?

The Collatz conjecture is one of unsolved problems in mathematics. It is a conjecture that repeatedly applying the following sequences will eventually result in 1: starting with any positive integer, divide it by 2 in the case of an even number and multiply it by 3 and add 1 in the case of any odd number. The conjecture is named after Lothar Collatz, who introduced the idea in 1937. Since then, it has remained unsolved with its truth not yet verified.

Background of prize

Prize money is sometimes offered on an unsolved problem in mathematics. For example, a prize of $1 million was posted for the solution to each of seven unsolved millennium problems announced by the Clay Mathematics Institute in 2000. Bakuage decided on the latest prize, hoping to contribute to the development of mathematics. The company has chosen the Collatz conjecture because it thought many people can be easily interested in the problem, which itself is easy to understand.

Prize rules

A prize of 120 million Japanese yen will be paid to whoever has elucidated the truth of the Collatz conjecture. For details, please visit the following prize site. Prize site: https://mathprize.net/posts/collatz-conjecture/

Other notes

*Corporate and product names contained here are their respective trademarks or registered trademarks.

*If the contents of this press release and the abovementioned prize rules do not agree with each other, the prize rules mentioned on the prize site shall take precedence.

URL: https://bakuage.com/en/about

SOURCE Bakuage Co., Ltd.

Related Links https://bakuage.com/en/about

[metmom]

Thanks for the example.

[P-Marlowe]

Have they tried cutting it in half with a sword?

[Jim W N]

The problem is stated this way:

- if “begin” n is even, then “new” n = n/2

- if “begin” n is odd, then “new” n = 3n +1

You continue the calculation as long as you can.

So far, if “begin” n = ANY whole number, the calculation ends up at “end” n =1 which infinitely loops with 4 and back to 1 again.

The mathematical issue is given any whole number as “begin” n, no understandable pattern emerges - the results seem random. The lack of a discernable pattern is apparently the mathematical problem.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5mFpVDpKX70

[jpsb]

Opps

[metmom]

I see.

Because the calculations are really pretty basic.

I get what they are looking for now.

[Deaf Smith]

Rain Man and my deceased aunt who was a female versions of Rain Man might have solved it.

Neither would be able to show their work though (proof).

[who_would_fardels_bear]

I've been working the Riemann Hypothesis too.

I just can't get past the bit where 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ... = -1/12

[1FreeAmerican]

Thanks for that kosciusko51 and Svartalfiar!

A clearer understanding of the problem.

Any ideas for reading material here?

The Idiots Guide to Theoretical Mathematics?

[EEGator]

Have you tried wishful thinking?

[Svartalfiar]

For this problem? There's a couple links posted above that are decent.

For math stuff in general? I had some neat sites saved on my old laptop, I'll hafta try to dig them up.

For whatever? Jay Fisher is all about knives, and has weeks of good reading. And some cool pictures. And some awesome knives, PM me if you need an address to send one as thanks!

https://jayfisher.com/Website_Overview.htm

[dgbrown]

Kind of like finding the last prime number.

[octex]

Thanks for a succinct example. I gonna test my dau and gdau.