Sponsored by the Rutgers University Department of Mathematics and the
Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS)
Title: The influence of the On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences on research
Speaker: Neil Sloane, AT&T
Date: Thursday, February 23, 2006 5:00pm
Location: Hill Center, Room 705, Rutgers University, Busch Campus, Piscataway, NJ
Abstract:
The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences (OEIS) is a database of over 100000 number sequences. It is freely available on the Web and is widely used. There are several ways in which it benefits research. 1. It serves as a dictionary, to tell the user what is known about a particular sequence. There are hundreds of papers which thank the OEIS for assistance in this way. 2. The associated Sequence Fans mailing list is a worldwide network which has evolved into a powerful machine for tackling new problems. 3. As a direct source of new theorems, when a sequence arises in two different contexts. 4. As a source of new research, when one sees a sequence in the OEIS that cries out to be analyzed. The talk will be illustrated with numerous examples, emphasizing new sequences that have arrived in the past few months. Many open problems will be mentioned.