FOM: script/can't run away

[Stephen Fenner]

On Tue, 15 Sep 1998, Harvey Friedman wrote:

> 
> I claimed that for all k, n(k) exists. Also that n(2) = 11 and n(3) is
> incomprehensibly large.
> ****
> 
> HMF: Got something trivial looking and elementary to tell you. How long a
> sequence in k letters can you write down satisfying a very simple condition?
> 
> VICTIM: OK, what's the condition?
> 
> HMF: Call the sequence x. That no consecutive block of the form
> x_i,...,x_2i be a subsequence of another consecutive block x_j,...,x_2j.
> 
> VICTIM: Hmmmmmm. OK. That's simple enough.
> 
> [Lot's more puzzlement on the part of VICTIM]

Harvey,

Your script sounds a lot like ones I've had a number of times with
Goodstein sequences.  Have you ever tried *them* on other mathematicians?
(High schoolers are facinated, too.)

Steve