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Bounds for Greedy $B_h$-sets

Number Theory 2024-05-01 v3 Combinatorics

Abstract

A set AA of nonnegative integers is called a BhB_h-set if every solution to a1++ah=b1++bha_1+\dots+a_h = b_1+\dots+b_h, where ai,biAa_i,b_i \in A, has {a1,,ah}={b1,,bh}\{a_1,\dots,a_h\}=\{b_1,\dots,b_h\} (as multisets). Let γk(h)\gamma_k(h) be the kk-th positive element of the greedy BhB_h-set. We give a nontrivial lower bound on γ5(h)\gamma_5(h), and a nontrivial upper bound on γk(h)\gamma_k(h) for k5k\ge 5. Specifically, 18h4+12h3γ5(h)0.467214h4+O(h3)\frac 18 h^4 +\frac12 h^3 \le \gamma_5(h) \le 0.467214 h^4+O(h^3), although we conjecture that γ5(h)=13h4+O(h3)\gamma_5(h)=\frac13 h^4 +O(h^3). We show that γk(h)1k!hk1+O(hk2)\gamma_k(h) \ge \frac{1}{k!} h^{k-1} + O(h^{k-2}) for k1k\ge 1 and γk(h)αkhk1+O(hk2)\gamma_k(h) \le \alpha_k h^{k-1}+O(h^{k-2}), where α6:=0.382978\alpha_6 := 0.382978, α7:=0.269877\alpha_7 := 0.269877, and for k7k\ge 7, αk+1:=12kk!j=0k1(k1j)(kj)2j\alpha_{k+1} := \frac{1}{2^k k!} \sum_{j=0}^{k-1} \binom{k-1}j\binom kj 2^j. This work begins with a thorough introduction and concludes with a section of open problems.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2312.10910,
  title  = {Bounds for Greedy $B_h$-sets},
  author = {Kevin O'Bryant},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2312.10910},
  year   = {2024}
}

Comments

19 pages, including appendix with proof details omitted from journal submission (this version has an improved introduction)

R2 v1 2026-06-28T13:54:12.959Z