Long zero-free sequences in finite cyclic groups

A sequence in an additively written abelian group is called zero-free if each of its nonempty subsequences has sum different from the zero element of the group. The article determines the structure of the zero-free sequences with lengths greater than $n/2$ in the additive group \Zn/ of integers modulo $n$. The main result states that for each zero-free sequence $(a_i)_{i=1}^\ell$ of length $\ell>n/2$ in \Zn/ there is an integer $g$ coprime to $n$ such that if $\bar{ga_i}$ denotes the least positive integer in the congruence class $ga_i$ (modulo $n$), then $\Sigma_{i=1}^\ell\bar{ga_i}<n$. The answers to a number of frequently asked zero-sum questions for cyclic groups follow as immediate consequences. Among other applications, best possible lower bounds are established for the maximum multiplicity of a term in a zero-free sequence with length greater than $n/2$, as well as for the maximum multiplicity of a generator. The approach is combinatorial and does not appeal to previously known nontrivial facts.Comment: 13 page

On the joint distribution of digital sums

AbstractLet s(n) be the sum of the digits of n written to the base b. We determine the joint distribution (modulo m) of the sequences s(k1n), …, s(kln). In the case where m and b − 1 are relatively prime, we find that their values are equally distributed among l-tuples of residue classes (modulo m)

Arithmetic-Progression-Weighted Subsequence Sums

Let $G$ be an abelian group, let $S$ be a sequence of terms $s_1,s_2,...,s_{n}\in G$ not all contained in a coset of a proper subgroup of $G$, and let $W$ be a sequence of $n$ consecutive integers. Let $$W\odot S=\{w_1s_1+...+w_ns_n:\;w_i {a term of} W,\, w_i\neq w_j{for} i\neq j\},$$ which is a particular kind of weighted restricted sumset. We show that $|W\odot S|\geq \min\{|G|-1,\,n\}$, that $W\odot S=G$ if $n\geq |G|+1$, and also characterize all sequences $S$ of length $|G|$ with $W\odot S\neq G$. This result then allows us to characterize when a linear equation $$a_1x_1+...+a_rx_r\equiv \alpha\mod n,$$ where $\alpha,a_1,..., a_r\in \Z$ are given, has a solution $(x_1,...,x_r)\in \Z^r$ modulo $n$ with all $x_i$ distinct modulo $n$. As a second simple corollary, we also show that there are maximal length minimal zero-sum sequences over a rank 2 finite abelian group $G\cong C_{n_1}\oplus C_{n_2}$ (where $n_1\mid n_2$ and $n_2\geq 3$) having $k$ distinct terms, for any $k\in [3,\min\{n_1+1,\,\exp(G)\}]$. Indeed, apart from a few simple restrictions, any pattern of multiplicities is realizable for such a maximal length minimal zero-sum sequence

Long nn-zero-free sequences in finite cyclic groups

A sequence in the additive group ${\mathbb Z}_n$ of integers modulo $n$ is called $n$-zero-free if it does not contain subsequences with length $n$ and sum zero. The article characterizes the $n$-zero-free sequences in ${\mathbb Z}_n$ of length greater than $3n/2-1$. The structure of these sequences is completely determined, which generalizes a number of previously known facts. The characterization cannot be extended in the same form to shorter sequence lengths. Consequences of the main result are best possible lower bounds for the maximum multiplicity of a term in an $n$-zero-free sequence of any given length greater than $3n/2-1$ in ${\mathbb Z}_n$, and also for the combined multiplicity of the two most repeated terms. Yet another application is finding the values in a certain range of a function related to the classic theorem of Erd\H{o}s, Ginzburg and Ziv.Comment: 11 page

Motzkin numbers and related sequences modulo powers of 2

We show that the generating function $\sum_{n\ge0}M_n\,z^n$ for Motzkin numbers $M_n$, when coefficients are reduced modulo a given power of $2$, can be expressed as a polynomial in the basic series $\sum _{e\ge0} ^{} {z^{4^e}}/( {1-z^{2\cdot 4^e}})$ with coefficients being Laurent polynomials in $z$ and $1-z$. We use this result to determine $M_n$ modulo $8$ in terms of the binary digits of~$n$, thus improving, respectively complementing earlier results by Eu, Liu and Yeh [Europ. J. Combin. 29 (2008), 1449-1466] and by Rowland and Yassawi [J. Th\'eorie Nombres Bordeaux 27 (2015), 245-288]. Analogous results are also shown to hold for related combinatorial sequences, namely for the Motzkin prefix numbers, Riordan numbers, central trinomial coefficients, and for the sequence of hex tree numbers.Comment: 28 pages, AmS-LaTeX; minor typos correcte

Category equivalences involving graded modules over path algebras of quivers

Let kQ be the path algebra of a quiver Q with its standard grading. We show that the category of graded kQ-modules modulo those that are the sum of their finite dimensional submodules, QGr(kQ), is equivalent to several other categories: the graded modules over a suitable Leavitt path algebra, the modules over a certain direct limit of finite dimensional multi-matrix algebras, QGr(kQ') where Q' is the quiver whose incidence matrix is the n^{th} power of that for Q, and others. A relation with a suitable Cuntz-Krieger algebra is established. All short exact sequences in the full subcategory of finitely presented objects in QGr(kQ), split so that subcategory can be given the structure of a triangulated category with suspension functor the Serre degree twist (-1); it is shown that this triangulated category is equivalent to the "singularity category" for the radical square zero algebra kQ/kQ_{\ge 2}.Comment: Several changes made as a result of the referee's report. Added Lemma 3.5 and Prop. 3.6 showing that O is a generato

Classification theorems for sumsets modulo a prime

Let $\Z/pZ$ be the finite field of prime order $p$ and $A$ be a subsequence of $\Z/pZ$. We prove several classification results about the following questions: (1) When can one represent zero as a sum of some elements of $A$ ? (2) When can one represent every element of $\Z/pZ$ as a sum of some elements of $A$ ? (3) When can one represent every element of $\Z/pZ$ as a sum of $l$ elements of $A$ ?Comment: 35 pages, to appear in JCT

Every sufficiently large even number is the sum of two primes

The binary Goldbach conjecture asserts that every even integer greater than $4$ is the sum of two primes. In this paper, we prove that there exists an integer $K_\alpha$ such that every even integer $x > p_k^2$ can be expressed as the sum of two primes, where $p_k$ is the $k$th prime number and $k > K_\alpha$. To prove this statement, we begin by introducing a type of double sieve of Eratosthenes as follows. Given a positive even integer $x > 4$, we sift from $[1, x]$ all those elements that are congruents to $0$ modulo $p$ or congruents to $x$ modulo $p$, where $p$ is a prime less than $\sqrt{x}$. Therefore, any integer in the interval $[\sqrt{x}, x]$ that remains unsifted is a prime $q$ for which either $x-q = 1$ or $x-q$ is also a prime. Then, we introduce a new way of formulating a sieve, which we call the sequence of $k$-tuples of remainders. By means of this tool, we prove that there exists an integer $K_\alpha > 5$ such that $p_k / 2$ is a lower bound for the sifting function of this sieve, for every even number $x$ that satisfies $p_k^2 < x < p_{k+1}^2$, where $k > K_\alpha$, which implies that $x > p_k^2 \; (k > K_\alpha)$ can be expressed as the sum of two primes.Comment: 32 pages. The manuscript was edited for proper English language by one editor at American Journal Experts (Certificate Verification Key: C0C3-5251-4504-E14D-BE84). However, afterwards some changes have been made in sections 1, 6, 7 and