Kolakoski sequence

noun

An infinite sequence of symbols {1,2} that is its own run-length encoding and the prototype for an infinite family of related sequences.

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Meanings

nounKolakoski sequence (plural Kolakoski sequences)

plural Kolakoski sequences

  1. mathematicsAn infinite sequence of symbols {1,2} that is its own run-length encoding and the prototype for an infinite family of related sequences.

Origin

Named after the recreational mathematician William Kolakoski (1944–97), who discussed it in 1965, though subsequent research has revealed that it first appeared in a paper by Rufus Oldenburger in 1939.

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Cite this entry
APA

Kolakoski sequence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kolakoski%20sequence

MLA

“Kolakoski sequence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kolakoski%20sequence. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Kolakoski sequence,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kolakoski%20sequence.

Source: Kolakoski sequence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.