Thue-Morse sequence

In mathematics and its applications, the Thue-Morse sequence, or Prouhet-Thue-Morse sequence, is a certain binary sequence whose initial segments alternate (in a certain sense).

History

The Thue-Morse sequence was first studied by P. Prouhet in 1851, who applied it to number theory.

Related Topics:
P. Prouhet - 1851 - Number theory

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However, Prouhet did not mention the sequence explicitly; this was left to Axel Thue in 1906, who used it to found the study of combinatorics on words.

Related Topics:
Axel Thue - 1906 - Combinatorics

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Since Thue published in Norwegian, his work was ignored at first; the sequence was only brought to worldwide attention with the work of Marston Morse in 1921, when he applied it to differential geometry.

Related Topics:
Norwegian - Marston Morse - 1921 - Differential geometry

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The sequence has been discovered independently many times, not always by professional research mathematicians; for example, Max Euwe, a chess grandmaster and mathematics teacher, discovered it in 1929 in an application to chess.

Related Topics:
Max Euwe - Chess grandmaster - Teacher - 1929 - Chess

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