English

Optimal Equivariant Matchings on the 6-Cube with an Application to the King Wen Sequence

General Mathematics 2026-05-27 v3

Abstract

We study equivariant perfect matchings on the Boolean hypercube \B6\B^6 under the Klein four-group K4=\comp,\revK_4 = \langle \comp, \rev \rangle generated by bitwise complement and reversal. Among matchings using only \comp\comp or \rev\rev pairings, there is a unique Hamming-cost minimizer, given by a simple ``reverse-priority rule'': pair each element with its reversal unless it is a palindrome, in which case pair it with its complement. This matching has total Hamming cost 120, compared to 192 for the complement-only matching. The historically significant King Wen sequence of the I Ching realizes precisely this matching. Pure Hamming minimization over the full K4K_4 action is different: allowing \comp\rev\comp \circ \rev lowers the cost to 96. The King Wen rule is recovered, however, as the unique Hamming-weight-preserving optimum: it minimizes failures of Hamming-weight preservation before Hamming distance, and it is stable for the weighted energy αΔw+βdH\alpha|\Delta w|+\beta d_H throughout the open region α>β\alpha>\beta. The finite orbit counts and case distinctions are checked in Lean~4.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2601.07175,
  title  = {Optimal Equivariant Matchings on the 6-Cube with an Application to the King Wen Sequence},
  author = {Alejandro Radisic},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.07175},
  year   = {2026}
}