In
mathematics, a 'Keith number' or 'repfigit number' (short for 'rep'etitive 'F'ibonacci-like d'igit') is an
integer ''N''>9 that appears as a term in a linear
recurrence relation with initial terms based on its own digits. Given an ''n''-digit number
a sequence
is formed with initial terms
and with a general term produced as the sum of the previous ''n'' terms. If the number ''N'' appears in the sequence
, then ''N'' is said to be a Keith number.
For example, taking 197 in such a way creates the sequence
. The first few Keith numbers are:
14,
19,
28,
47,
61,
75, 197, 742, 1104, 1537, 2208, 2580, 3684, 4788, 7385, 7647, 7909
Whether or not there are infinitely many Keith numbers is currently a matter of speculation. There are only 71 Keith numbers below 10
19, making them much rarer than
prime numbers.
Mike Keith is a mathematician who published a paper on these numbers titled "Repfigit Numbers" in a 1987 issue of the ''Journal of Recreational Mathematics''.
External links
★
Keith Number - From MathWorld