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Collatz Conjecture, Cycles, the 4n – 2 Series, and Positions Within the Series

This version is not peer-reviewed.

Submitted:

04 March 2025

Posted:

07 March 2025

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Abstract
We demonstrate that the Collatz conjecture generates cycles that consistently converge to the series defined by (4n - 2), ultimately terminating at the number 2. We propose an innovative algorithm that predicts the positions within this series during each cycle. Through a rigorously defined metric, we establish that these positions invariably converge to position 1, corresponding to the number 2 in the Collatz sequence (2 to 1 to 4 to 2). This approach not only confirms the validity of the conjecture for all positive integers but also provides a novel framework for understanding its cyclic behavior.
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Copyright: This open access article is published under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, which permit the free download, distribution, and reuse, provided that the author and preprint are cited in any reuse.

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