A Closed-System Algebraic Identity and Parity Obstruction for the Collatz Conjecture
This paper presents a closed-system algebraic framework to analyze the existence of non-trivial cycles (x > 1) within the Collatz trajectory. By formulating the sequence as an accumulated historical residue of +1 operations governed by a scaling factor f = n/k, we derive a unified algebraic identity that relates the starting odd integer x to the expansion and division powers (3^k and 2^{f \cdot k}). Through rigorous parity analysis of the numerator and denominator, we establish a fundamental parity contradiction (\text{Odd} = \text{Even}) for any x > 1. This structural obstruction proves that no non-trivial integer solution can satisfy the closed-system identity, leaving the trivial loop x = 1 as the only consistent solution of the system.
Authors
- Alper Pektaş (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4669-3474)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Published
- 2026-09-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23044912
- Primary Topic
- Benford’s Law and Fraud Detection
- Type
- preprint