$\DeclareMathOperator\Orb{Orb}\newcommand\abs[1]{\lvert#1\rvert}$The Collatz or the $3n+1$ conjecture is open.
- Are there non-trivial polynomials $f(x)\in\mathbb Z[x]$ and $g(x)\in\mathbb R[x]$ having unbounded $\abs{f(n)}$, $\abs{g(n)}$ as $n$ grows in $\mathbb N$ and an integer $x_0\in\mathbb N$ satisfying $\abs{g(x)}<2\abs{f(x)}+1$ for every $x>x_0$ such that for every $m\in\mathbb N_{>x_0}$ there is a $k\in \Orb(2\abs{f(m)}+1)$ such that $k<\abs{g(m)}$?
Here $\Orb(t)$ is the set of numbers $t$ traverses through as we apply Collatz transformations.
- If $f(x)$ is the non-polynomial $(3^x-1)/2$ is there a polynomial $g(x)$ as in 1.?
Note $1$ need not be in $\Orb(\abs{g(x)})$ for every $x\in\mathbb N_{x_0}$ for both 1. and 2..
\Orb(\abs{f(m)}) \setminus \abs{f(m)}
, not $\Orb(\abs{f(m)}) \backslash \abs{f(m)}$\Orb(\abs{f(m)}) \backslash \abs{f(m)}
. I have edited accordingly. $\endgroup$