In mathematics, a recurrent word or sequence is an infinite word over a finite alphabet in which every factor occurs infinitely many times.[1][2][3] An infinite word is recurrent if and only if it is a sesquipower.[4][5]
A uniformly recurrent word is a recurrent word in which for any given factor X in the sequence, there is some length nX (often much longer than the length of X) such that X appears in every block of length nX.[1][6][7] The terms minimal sequence[8] and almost periodic sequence (Muchnik, Semenov, Ushakov 2003) are also used.
Examples
The easiest way to make a recurrent sequence is to form a periodic sequence, one where the sequence repeats entirely after a given number m of steps. Such a sequence is then uniformly recurrent and nX can be set to any multiple of m that is larger than twice the length of X. A recurrent sequence that is ultimately periodic is purely periodic.[2]
The Thue–Morse sequence is uniformly recurrent without being periodic, nor even eventually periodic (meaning periodic after some nonperiodic initial segment).[9]
Lothaire, M. (2011). Algebraic combinatorics on words. Encyclopedia of Mathematics and Its Applications. Vol. 90. With preface by Jean Berstel and Dominique Perrin (Reprint of the 2002 hardback ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN978-0-521-18071-9. Zbl1221.68183.
Pytheas Fogg, N. (2002). Berthé, Valérie; Ferenczi, Sébastien; Mauduit, Christian; Siegel, Anne (eds.). Substitutions in dynamics, arithmetics and combinatorics. Lecture Notes in Mathematics. Vol. 1794. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. ISBN3-540-44141-7. Zbl1014.11015.
An. Muchnik, A. Semenov, M. Ushakov, Almost periodic sequences, Theoret. Comput. Sci. vol.304 no.1-3 (2003), 1-33.