## FANDOM

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On his blog post, Wythagoras describes a bound for S(7), derived from Pavel Kropitz's current (as of 2010) 6 states and 2 symbols recold holder. On Pascal Michel's Behavior of busy beavers page, Michel notes that the machine with the initial configuration ...0(A0)110... runs at least 10^10^10^10^10^7 steps. This blog post gives a proof for the claim.

We begin by filling the gaps from the transition table shown in Pascal Michel's page.

Let C(n) = ...0(A0)1n0...

Then we have:

Before Steps After
...0(A0)0... 29 C(9)
C(3k+1) 3k+3 ...0111(011)k(H0)0...
C(9k+6) (125*16k+2-575*4k+2+228k-2226)/27 C((50*4k+1-59)/3)
C(9k+9) (125*16k+2+325*4k+2+228k-2289)/27 C((50*4k+1-11)/3)
C(9k+12) (125*16k+2+325*4k+2+228k-912)/27 C((50*4k+1+1)/3)
C(9k+11) (2401*16k+2-5635*4k+2+1140k-11226)/135 C((98*4k+1-59)/3)
C(9k+14) (2401*16k+2+3185*4k+2+1140k-11541)/135 C((98*4k+1-11)/3)
C(9k+17) (2401*16k+2+3185*4k+2+1140k-4656)/135 C((98*4k+1+1)/3)

We start at C(2), which becomes C(11) after 36 steps.

C(11) becomes C(111) after 3802 steps.

Since 111 = 9*11+12, C(111) becomes $$C((50 \times 4^{12}+1)/3) = C(279620267)$$ after 20849999082655348 steps.

Since 279620267 = 9*31068917 + 14, C(279620267) becomes $$C((98 \times 4^{31068918}-11)/3)$$ after a large number of steps.

Before we continue further, let's show the following lemma:

Euler's theorem gives $$2^{\phi(3^n)} = 2^{2 \times 3^{n-1}} \equiv 1 \pmod{3^n}$$. Therefore $$4^{3^{n-1}} \equiv 1 \pmod{3^n}$$.

Combining with the above formulas yields the result that the modulo is divided by 9 for each "layer". Since we are showing that $$S(7) > 10^{10^{10^{10^{10^7}}}}$$, and $$(98 \times 4^{31068918}-11)/3 \approx 10^{10^7}$$, we have 3 more "layers" to go. Therefore starting from modulo $$3^8 = 6561$$ would be an acceptable choice.

We continue from where we left off, using modulo 6561:

$$31068918 \equiv 2583 \pmod{6561}$$

$$4^{31068918} \equiv 4^{2583} \equiv 16093 \pmod{19683}$$

$$(98 \times 4^{31068918}-11)/3 \equiv 525701 \equiv 821 = 9 \times 90 + 11 \pmod{6561}$$

So the next case is C(9k+11) -> C((98*4k+1-59)/3). Letting $$A = ((98 \times 4^{31068918}-11)/3-11)/9$$ we have:

$$A+1 \equiv 91 \pmod{729}$$

$$4^{A+1} \equiv 4^{91} \equiv 1246 \pmod{2187}$$

$$(98 \times 4^{A+1}-59)/3 \equiv 40683 \equiv 588 = 9 \times 64 + 12 \pmod{729}$$

The next case is C(9k+12) -> C((50*4k+1+1)/3). Again, letting $$B = ((98 \times 4^{A+1}-59)/3-12)/9$$ we have:

$$B+1 \equiv 65 \pmod{81}$$

$$4^{B+1} \equiv 4^{65} \equiv 43 \pmod{243}$$

$$(50 \times 4^{B+1}+1)/3 \equiv 717 \equiv 69 = 9 \times 7 + 6 \pmod{81}$$

Next case is C(9k+6) -> C((50*4k+1-59)/3). Letting $$C = ((50 \times 4^{B+1}+1)/3-6)/9$$:

$$C+1 \equiv 8 \pmod{9}$$

$$4^{C+1} \equiv 4^{8} \equiv 7 \pmod{27}$$

$$(50 \times 4^{C+1}-59)/3 \equiv 97 \equiv 7 = 3 \times 2 + 1 \pmod{9}$$

The next case is C(3k+1) -> ...0111(011)k(H0)0... where the machine finally halts. Letting $$D = ((50 \times 4^{C+1}-59)/3-1)/3$$, the machine halts after 3D+3 steps, leaving 2D+3 1's on the tape.

In summary:

Tape Steps from previous row
C(2)
C(11) 36
C(111) 3802
C(279620267) 20849999082655348
$$C((98 \times 4^{31068918}-11)/3)$$ = C(9A+11) $$(2401 \times 16^{k+2}+3185 \times 4^{k+2}+1140k-11541)/135$$ where k = 31068917
$$C((98 \times 4^{A+1}-59)/3)$$ = C(9B+12) $$(2401 \times 16^{A+2}-5635 \times 4^{A+2}+1140A-11226)/135$$
$$C((50 \times 4^{B+1}+1)/3)$$ = C(9C+6) $$(125 \times 16^{B+2}+325 \times 4^{B+2}+228B-912)/27$$
$$C((50 \times 4^{C+1}-59)/3)$$ = C(3D+1) $$(125 \times 16^{C+2}-575 \times 4^{C+2}+228C-2226)/27$$
...0111(011)D(H0)0... (total 2D+3 1's) 3D+3

The resulting lower bounds are:

$\Sigma(7) \geq 2D+3 > 10^{10^{10^{10^{18705352}}}}$

$S(7) > (125 \times 16^{C+2}-575 \times 4^{C+2}+228C-2226)/27 > 10^{10^{10^{10^{18705352}}}}$

In addition, $$10^{10^{10^{10^{18705352}}}} > 10^{10^{10^{10^{10000000}}}} = 10^{10^{10^{10^{10^7}}}}$$. The proof is finally complete.

Edit: Slightly corrected bounds with help from somebody I believe is Pascal Michel