For every positive integer $n$, let $\text{mod}_5 (n)$ be the remainder obtained when $n$ is divided by 5. Define a function $f: \{0,1,2,3,\dots\} \times \{0,1,2,3,4\} \to \{0,1,2,3,4\}$ recursively as follows:
$$f(i,j) = \begin{cases}\text{mod}_5 (j+1) & \text{ if } i = 0 \text{ and } 0 \le j \le 4 \text{,}\\ f(i-1,1) & \text{ if } i \ge 1 \text{ and } j = 0 \text{, and} \\ f(i-1, f(i,j-1)) & \text{ if } i \ge 1 \text{ and } 1 \le j \le 4. \end{cases}$$
What is $f(2015,2)$?
I have seen methods for this question but they seem to be making tables to solve it and are very time consuming. What is the least time consuming way to solve this?
All that’s needed is a very small table that can be filled in quite rapidly:
$$\begin{array}{c|cc} &0&1&2&3&4\\ \hline 0&1&2&3&4&0\\ 1&2&3&4&0&1\\ 2&3&0&2&4&1\\ 3&0&3&4&1&0\\ 4&3&1&3&1&3\\ 5&1&1&1&1&1 \end{array}$$
And the definition now ensures that $f(i,j)=1$ for all $i\ge 5$ and $j\in\{0,1,2,3,4\}$.