Trees and Meta-Fibonacci Sequences

Abstract

For $k>1$ and nonnegative integer parameters $a_p, b_p$, $p = 1..k$, we analyze the solutions to the meta-Fibonacci recursion $C(n)=\sum_{p=1}^k C(n-a_p-C(n-b_p))$, where the parameters $a_p, b_p$, $p = 1..k$ satisfy a specific constraint. For $k=2$ we present compelling empirical evidence that solutions exist only for two particular families of parameters; special cases of the recursions so defined include the Conolly recursion and all of its generalizations that have been studied to date. We show that the solutions for all the recursions defined by the parameters in these families have a natural combinatorial interpretation: they count the number of labels on the leaves of certain infinite labeled trees, where the number of labels on each node in the tree is determined by the parameters. This combinatorial interpretation enables us to determine various new results concerning these sequences, including a closed form, and to derive asymptotic estimates. Our results broadly generalize and unify recent findings of this type relating to certain of these meta-Fibonacci sequences. At the same time they indicate the potential for developing an analogous counting interpretation for many other meta-Fibonacci recursions specified by the same recursion for $C(n)$ with other sets of parameters.