Here are the records from a busy telephone system with one million users:
RecNr
Caller
Called
The telephone number of the caller and the called number in record are and where come from the "Lagged Fibonacci Generator":
For , .
For , .
If then the user is assumed to have misdialled and the call fails; otherwise the call is successful.
From the start of the records, we say that any pair of users and are friends if calls or vice-versa. Similarly, is a friend of a friend of if is a friend of and is a friend of ; and so on for longer chains.
The Prime Minister's phone number is . After how many successful calls, not counting misdials, will of the users (including the PM) be a friend, or a friend of a friend etc., of the Prime Minister?
Write-up coming later
The complete problem is available here. An approach, code, and answer will be added later.