The Collatz Process Embeds a Base Conversion Algorithm

Abstract

The Collatz process is defined on natural numbers by iterating the map \(T(x) = T_0(x) = x/2\) when \(x\in \mathbb {N}\) is even and \(T(x)=T_1(x) =(3x+1)/2\) when x is odd. In an effort to understand its dynamics, and since Generalised Collatz Maps are known to simulate Turing Machines [Conway, 1972], it seems natural to ask what kinds of algorithmic behaviours it embeds. We define a quasi-cellular automaton that exactly simulates the Collatz process on the square grid: on input \(x\in \mathbb {N}\), written horizontally in base 2, successive rows give the Collatz sequence of x in base 2. We show that vertical columns simultaneously iterate the map in base 3. This leads to our main result: the Collatz process embeds an algorithm that converts any natural number from base 3 to base 2. We also find that the evolution of our automaton computes the parity of the number of 1s in any ternary input. It follows that predicting about half of the bits of the iterates \(T^i(x)\), for \(i = O(\log x)\), is in the complexity class NC\(^1\) but outside AC\(^0\). These results show that the Collatz process is capable of some simple, but non-trivial, computation in bases 2 and 3, suggesting an algorithmic approach to thinking about prediction and existence of cycles in the Collatz process.