This site has this to say about the "196 Conjecture":

Palindromic Number Conjecture

Apply the 196-algorithm, which consists of taking any positive integer of two digits or more, reversing the digits, and adding to the original number. Now sum the two and repeat the procedure with the sum. Of the first 10000 numbers, only 251 do not produce a palindromic number in [23] steps [or less] (Gardner 1979).

It was therefore conjectured that all numbers will eventually yield a palindromic number. However, the conjecture has been proven false for bases which are a power of 2 [ * ], and seems to be false for base 10 as well. Among the first 100000 numbers, 5996 numbers apparently never generate a palindromic number (Gruenberger 1984). The first few are 196, 887, 1675, 7436, 13783, 52514, 94039, 187088, 1067869, 10755470, ... (Sloane's A006960).

It is conjectured, but not proven, that there are an infinite number of palindromic primes. With the exception of 11, palindromic primes must have an odd number of digits.

SEE ALSO: 196-Algorithm, Demlo Number.

[ * ] On the other hand...isn't 64 [a] power-of-2 base? [You palindromized that in just two steps!]

[edited for clarification]

Last edited by wofahulicodoc; 11/25/05 01:52 AM.