Kolakoski Sequence

symbolic-dynamics · 37 views
symbolic-dynamicssymbolic

What It Is

Kolakoski K = 1,2,2,1,1,2,1,2,2,1,2,2,1,1,2,... --- the unique infinite sequence over {1,2} starting with 1 whose run-length encoding equals itself. Density of 1s conjectured to be exactly 1/2 (Keane 1991, still open in 2026). Aperiodic, self-similar in run-length structure, complexity class unknown.

Interpretation

Standard analysis sees: bounded / light-tailed; few distinct values; anti-correlated (alternating); anti-persistent; blue spectrum (high-frequency power); homoskedastic; monofractal; stationary. The atlas finds no named structure, but the source is distinctively extreme on Nonstationarity:change_quantiles_mid (+5.0z) — beyond what the standard bank predicts for it.

What standard analysis sees
tail heaviness0.01
asymmetry0.40
occupancy0.08
short-range corr0.10
long-range memory0.11
spectral colour0.94
periodicity0.48
complexity0.40
time-irreversibility0.51
volatility clustering0.05
multifractality0.09
dimensionality0.58
nonstationarity0.03
What the atlas adds
Atlas-extreme metrics the standard bank can’t predict for this source
Nonstationarity:change_quantiles_mid+5.0zbank-miss 3.1σ
Projective ℙ²:collinearity-3.7zbank-miss 1.0σ
Spirograph:petal_symmetry+3.4zbank-miss 1.5σ
Lorentzian:crossing_density+2.8zbank-miss 1.6σ

Composition

dtypeint8
range[1, 2]
unique values2 / 16384
mean ± std1.5 ± 0.5

Binary sequence — two distinct symbols.

Render Gallery

Atlas Position

Nearest neighborDistance
Thue-Morse2.99
L-System (Dragon Curve)4.28
Symbolic Henon4.36cross-origin

Open in Atlas →

Which Geometries Light Up

Catch24 › Catch24:DN_Spread_Stdrank 4/3060.5000
Catch24 › Catch24:PD_PeriodicityWang_th0_01rank 303/3062.0000
Catch24 › Catch24:SC_FluctAnal_2_rsrangefit_50_1_logi_prop_r1rank 304/3060.1220
H3 Icosahedral › H3 Icosahedral:nn_enrichmentrank 3/3064.4933
H3 Icosahedral › H3 Icosahedral:temporal_coherencerank 4/3060.3912
Lorentzian › Lorentzian:crossing_densityrank 2/3060.6668
Mostow Rigidity › Mostow Rigidity:distance_rigidityrank 2/3060.9844
Nonstationarity › Nonstationarity:change_quantiles_midrank 4/3060.6666
Ordinal Partition › Ordinal Partition:statistical_complexityrank 5/3060.1026
Projective ℙ² › Projective ℙ²:collinearityrank 304/3060.9324
Spherical S² › Spherical S²:angular_spreadrank 3/3061.5708
Spherical S² › Spherical S²:concentrationrank 304/3060.0015
Spirograph › Spirograph:petal_symmetryrank 5/3060.6658
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