First question: are the series related?
How about this:
First series: imagine a pendulum with a 1 at 12 o'clock and 2, 3, 4 at 7, 6 and 5 respectively. The arm is at 2 and recieves a strong clockwise hit so it circles up and fully around past 1, then settles down into an oscilation: 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, ... and eventually settles at 3.
Second series: Similar pendulum with numbers 1 through 4 at the bottom. This looks just like an oscillation. 3,2,1,2,3,4,3,2,1,2,3,4,3,2,1,2,3,4,...
Third series: I have no idea.