English

A universal sequence of integers generating balanced Steinhaus figures modulo an odd number

Combinatorics 2016-03-31 v2 Number Theory

Abstract

In this paper, we partially solve an open problem, due to J.C. Molluzzo in 1976, on the existence of balanced Steinhaus triangles modulo a positive integer nn, that are Steinhaus triangles containing all the elements of Z/nZ\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z} with the same multiplicity. For every odd number nn, we build an orbit in Z/nZ\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}, by the linear cellular automaton generating the Pascal triangle modulo nn, which contains infinitely many balanced Steinhaus triangles. This orbit, in Z/nZ\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}, is obtained from an integer sequence called the universal sequence. We show that there exist balanced Steinhaus triangles for at least 2/32/3 of the admissible sizes, in the case where nn is an odd prime power. Other balanced Steinhaus figures, such as Steinhaus trapezoids, generalized Pascal triangles, Pascal trapezoids or lozenges, also appear in the orbit of the universal sequence modulo nn odd. We prove the existence of balanced generalized Pascal triangles for at least 2/32/3 of the admissible sizes, in the case where nn is an odd prime power, and the existence of balanced lozenges for all admissible sizes, in the case where nn is a square-free odd number.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0908.2516,
  title  = {A universal sequence of integers generating balanced Steinhaus figures modulo an odd number},
  author = {Jonathan Chappelon},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0908.2516},
  year   = {2016}
}

Comments

30 pages ; 10 figures