Belgian Numbers (formerly Eric Numbers).

 

 

176 is an “Belgian-0 number” because, starting from 0, one can build a sequence containing 176 in this way:

 

0 1 8 14 15 22 28 29 36 42 43 50 ... 155 162 168 169 176 ...

 1 7 6  1  7  6  1  7  6  1  7  ...     7   6   1   7

 

The “first differences” building rule is easy to understand. The above example shows that one doesn’t have to add the full digit-pattern [1+7+6] to produce the according Belgian number: 176 already appears when 7 is added to the previous integer – not after 6 is added.

 

Here are the first Belgian-0 numbers:

 

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 17 18 20 21 22 24 26 27 30 31 33 35 36 39 40 42 44 45 48 50 53 54 55 60 62 63 66 70 71 72 77 80 81 84 88 90 93 99 100 101 102 106 108 110 111 112 114 117 120 ...

 

Here is another example in order to explain how the above sequence works. Take it’s integer 17 for instance; 17 is an Belgian-0 number because 17 belongs to this infinite sequence:

 

0 1 8 9 16 17 24 25 32 ...

 1 7 1 7  1  7  1  7

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Now, we have started from 0 (zero) but we could have started from any other “seed”, ranging from 0 to 9 (in Belgian number’s world, seeds cannot be greater than 9 – this will be explained later).

 

Belgian-1 numbers (seed in bold):

 

1 10 11 13 16 17 21 23 41 43 56 58 74 81 91 97 100 101 106 110 111 113 115 121 122 130 131 137 142 155 157 161 170 171 172 178 179 181 184 188 193 201 ...

 

179, for instance, is an Belgian-1 number because (seed in bold):

1 2 9 18 19 26 35 36 43 52 53 ... 155 162 171 172 179.

 1 7 9  1  7  9  1  7  9  1  ...     7   9   1   7

 

Belgian-2 numbers:

 

2 10 11 12 15 16 20 22 25 26 32 38 41 42 46 67 72 82 86 91 95 100 101 102 103 105 107 110 111 112 113 115 116 120 121 122 123 124 125 130 131 132 134 136 138 142 143 ...

 

138, for instance, is an Belgian-2 number (seed in bold):

2 3 6 14 15 18 26 27 30 38 39 ... 122 123 126 134 135 138.

 1 3 8  1  3  8  1  3  8  1  ...     1   3   8   1   3

 

Belgian-3 numbers:

 

3 10 11 12 14 15 21 23 30 31 33 34 35 39 47 51 52 59 63 69 73 75 78 94 100 101 102 103 104 105 107 110 111 112 113 115 116 120 123 133 141 146 147 151 153 154 158 159 163 164 166 168 183 185 191 196 ...

 

159, for instance, is an Belgian-3 number (seed in bold):

3 4 9 18 19 24 33 34 39 48 49 ... 139 144 153 154 159.

 1 5 9  1  5  9  1  5  9  1  ...     5   9   1   5

 

Belgian-4 numbers:

 

4 10 11 13 14 20 21 22 24 25 31 32 37 40 43 44 51 54 57 64 65 76 82 84 87 89 92 98 100 101 104 110 111 112 114 116 121 122 124 125 127 128 137 140 141 142 144 145 148 149 151 154 158 172 177 191 196 ...

 

149, for instance, is an Belgian-4 number (seed in bold):

4 5 9 18 19 23 32 33 37 46 47 ... 131 135 144 145 149.

 1 4 9  1  4  9  1  4  9  1  ...     4   9   1   4

 

Belgian-5 numbers:

 

5 10 11 12 13 29 38 45 50 52 53 55 61 100 101 102 110 111 114 120 121 124 125 130 131 132 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 145 148 150 151 160 174 175 182 186 191 195 211 ...

 

148, for instance, is an Belgian-5 number (seed in bold):

5 6 10 18 19 23 31 32 36 44 45 ... 127 135 136 140 148.

 1 4  8  1  4  8  1  4  8  1  ...     8   1   4   8

 

Belgian-6 numbers:

 

6 10 11 12 20 21 22 23 24 28 30 33 34 36 41 42 46 49 58 60 61 62 66 68 73 83 92 96 100 101 102 103 110 111 112 113 114 118 120 121 122 123 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 136 138 143 150 155 156 ...

 

138, for instance, is an Belgian-6 number (seed in bold):

6 7 10 18 19 22 30 31 34 42 43 ... 118 126 127 130 138.

 1 3  8  1  3  8  1  3  8  1  ...     8   1   3   8

 

Belgian-7 numbers:

 

7 10 11 21 27 29 31 32 37 41 56 70 71 77 85 94 100 101 103 106 110 111 112 113 117 118 119 122 127 128 131 133 143 152 173 176 201 205 ...

 

128, for instance, is an Belgian-7 number (seed in bold):

7 8 10 18 19 21 29 30 32 40 41 ... 109 117 118 120 128.

 1 2  8  1  2  8  1  2  8  1  ...     8   1   2   8

 

Belgian-8 numbers:

 

8 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 26 28 31 35 40 42 43 44 48 53 62 64 71 74 75 79 80 86 88 97 100 101 102 104 105 106 108 109 110 111 112 113 115 117 118 119 120 121 123 126 129 132 135 139 141 142 144 149 152 153 154 157 159 161 ...

 

119, for instance, is an Belgian-8 number (seed in bold):

8 9 10 19 20 21 30 31 32 41 42 ... 107 108 109 118 119.

 1 1  9  1  1  9  1  1  9  1  ...     1   1   9   1

 

Belgian-9 numbers:

 

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 25 27 30 32 33 36 45 51 54 57 63 67 69 72 81 83 90 93 99 100 101 102 104 105 108 109 110 111 115 117 119 120 121 122 123 124 126 129 130 135 139 140 141 142 144 146 149 153 159 161 162 164 165 166 169 ...

 

149, for instance, is an Belgian-9 number (seed in bold):

9 10 14 23 24 28 37 38 42 51 52 ... 126 135 136 140 149.

 1  4  9  1  4  9  1  4  9  1  ...     9   1   4   9

 

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Two types of Self-Belgian Numbers (SBN) could be also defined – if you are not asleep yet.

 

The first type (SBN-1) would only consist in Belgian numbers whose building sequence begins with the same seed as their leftmost digit.

 

179 is an example of Self-Belgian Number of type-1. The “seed” is 1 because 1 is the leftmost digit of 179. Here is the complete sequence leading to 179:

_

1 2 9 18 19 26 35 36 43 52 53 60 69 70 77 86 87 94 103 104

 1 7 9  1  7  9  1  7  9  1  7  9  1  7  9  1  7  9   1   7

                                                ___

111 120 121 128 137 138 145 154 155 162 171 172 179.

   9   1   7   9   1   7   9   1   7   9   1   7

 

 

And here are the first Self-Belgian Numbers of type-1 (SBN-1):

 

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 16 17 20 22 25 26 30 31 33 34 35 39 40 43 44 50 52 53 55 60 61 62 66 68 70 71 77 80 86 88 90 93 99 100 101 106 110 111 113 115 121 122 130 131 137 142 155 157 161 170 171 172 178 179 181 184 188 193 201 ...

 

Again, this sequence should be red like this: 68 (for instance) is an Belgian‑6 number; 70 is an Belgian‑7 number; (and so are also 71 and 77); 80 is an Belgian‑8 number, etc. All the above SBN-1 integers use their leftmost digit as seed for their building sequence.

 

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The second types of Self Belgian Numbers (my favorite, SBN-2) are numbers who fully show all their digits (in the same order) at the beginning of their building sequence – and not only their leftmost one. 61 is the first such integer:

    ___                                         __

6 12 13 19 20 26 27 33 34 40 41 47 48 54 55 61.

 6  1  6  1  6  1  6  1  6  1  6  1  6  1  6

 

As one can see, the seed remains 6 – and not 61. If we allow seeds to have more than one digit, then all integers would be SEN-2, right from the beginning of their building sequence! This is why seeds cannot be greater than 9.

 

 

The beginning of the SBN-2 sequence looks like this:

 

61 71 918 3612 5101 8161 ...

 

Again, this last integer belongs to the SBN-2 family because its building sequence shows at the very beginning all it’s digits (in the same order):

______                                            ____

8 16 17 23 24 32 33 39 40 ... 8145 8151 8152 8160 8161

 8  1  6  1  8  1  6  1  ...      6    1    8    1

 

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More terms (remarks and corrections) are welcome (here).

 

None of those sequences are yet in the OEIS. They will be submitted soon. (They are now)

 

The concept of Belgian numbers came to the lousy author after his discovery of the Keith Numbers (or Repfigits), there.

 

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A comment on this from Eugene McDonnell, here.

 

And a wonderful page from Jean-Paul Davalan, with lots of applets, there.

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[copyleft: E. Angelini, Brussels, Belgium – June 7t, 2005.]

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