Find a Formula To Generate This Sequence

Question

I took $n$th odd number, multiplied it by $3$ then added $1$. Then the number in the sequence is the number of times this result can be divided by $2$.

I need a function to give me the $n$th number in this sequence.

I observed so far that after a number appears in the sequence, the next appearance of the same integer $n$ occurs after $2^n$ steps (counting the number itself).

The first appearance of the integer $n$ occurs at the $a(n)$ spot, so far it follows: $$ a(n) = \frac{ (1 + 2^n\times(3 + 2\times(-1)^n))}{3}$$

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First $300$ numbers in the sequence:

$$ 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 6, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 8, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 6, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 7, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 6, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 10, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 6, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 7, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 6, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 8, 1 $$

Answer 1

Let $g(n)$ be the number of times $n$ can be divided by $2.$

Let $h(n)=g(2n)$ be the number of times $2n$ can be divided by $2.$

As pointed out in the comments, the function you want is $f(n)=g(6n-2)=h(3n-1).$ The sequence $f(n)$ is not in the Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, but $g(n)$ is sequence A007814 and $h(n)$ is sequence A001511.

Answer 2

One way to create this sequence algorthmically is start by writing down any even number, e.g. $10$

Next write before and after it the number two less than it, e.g. $8,10,8$

Next write the next number less than it in between each value and if the value is even write it at the start and end, e.g. $8,7,10,7,8$

Repeat this step until you get to 1. E.g.:

Inserting $6$:

$6, 8, 6, 7, 6, 10, 6, 7, 6, 8, 6$

Inserting $5$:

$6, 5, 8, 5, 6, 5, 7, 5, 6, 5, 10, 5, 6, 5, 7, 5, 6, 5, 8, 5, 6$

Inserting $4$:

$4, 6, 4, 5, 4, 8, 4, 5, 4, 6, 4, 5, 4, 7, 4, 5, 4, 6, 4, 5, 4, 10, 4, 5, 4, 6, 4, 5, 4, 7, 4, 5, 4, 6, 4, 5, 4, 8, 4, 5, 4, 6, 4$

Inserting $3$:

$4, 3, 6, 3, 4, 3, 5, 3, 4, 3, 8, 3, 4, 3, 5, 3, 4, 3, 6, 3, 4, 3, 5, 3, 4, 3, 7, 3, 4, 3, 5, 3, 4, 3, 6, 3, 4, 3, 5, 3, 4, 3, 10, 3, 4, 3, 5, 3, 4, 3, 6, 3, 4, 3, 5, 3, 4, 3, 7, 3, 4, 3, 5, 3, 4, 3, 6, 3, 4, 3, 5, 3, 4, 3, 8, 3, 4, 3, 5, 3, 4, 3, 6, 3, 4$

Inserting $2$:

$2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 6, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 5, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 8, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 5, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 6, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 5, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 7, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 5, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 6, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 5, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 10, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 5, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 6, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 5, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 7, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 5, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 6, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 5, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 8, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 5, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3, 2, 6, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2$

Inserting $1$:

$2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 6, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 8, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 6, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 7, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 6, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 10, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 6, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 7, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 6, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 8, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 6, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2$