The Simplest Math Problem Could Be Unsolvable
Briefly

The Collatz conjecture—the vexing puzzle Kakutani described—is one of those supposedly simple problems that people tend to get lost in.
Take a natural number. If it is odd, multiply it by 3 and add 1; if it is even, divide it by 2. Repeat these instructions as many times as possible, and, according to the conjecture, you will always end up with the number 1.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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