Conway chained arrow notation, created by mathematician John Horton Conway, is a means of expressing certain extremely large numbers. It is simply a finite sequence of positive integers separated by rightward arrows, e.g. 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6.
As with most combinatorial symbologies, the definition is recursive. In this case the notation eventually resolves to being the leftmost number raised to some (usually enormous) integer power.
Read more about Conway Chained Arrow Notation: Definition and Overview, Properties, Interpretation, Examples, Ackermann Function, Graham's Number
Famous quotes containing the words conway, chained and/or arrow:
“Gentlemen, I give you a toast. Heres my hope that Robert Conway will find his Shangri-La. Heres my hope that we all find our Shangri-La.”
—Robert Riskin (18971955)
“who chained themselves to subways for the endless ride from Battery
to holy Bronx on benzedrine until the noise of wheels and children
brought them down shuddering mouth-wracked and battered bleak of brain and drained of brilliance in the drear light of Zoo,”
—Allen Ginsberg (b. 1926)
“... and the next summer she died in childbirth.
Thats all. Of course, there may be some sort of sequel but it is not known to me. In such cases instead of getting bogged down in guesswork, I repeat the words of the merry king in my favorite fairy tale: Which arrow flies for ever? The arrow that has hit its mark.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (18991977)