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Age 14 to 16
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The terms of the sequence are$$6, 3, 14, 7, 34, 17, 84, 42, 21, 104, 52, 26, 13, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1, \dots$$As can be seen, there will now be no other terms in the sequence other than $4$, $2$, and $1$. It can also be seen that the only values of $n$ for which the $n$th term equals $n$ are $13$ and $16$.

This problem is taken from the UKMT Mathematical Challenges.
You can find more short problems, arranged by curriculum topic, in our short problems collection.

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The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.

NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.

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