Period formula conjecture for subtraction games with FES sets of size 3

From papers

Let aa and bb be positive integers such that b>3ab>3a and gcd(a,b)=1\gcd(a,b)=1. Consider the nim sequence for the finite subtraction set a,b,a+ba,b,a+b and let pp denote its period.

Period formula conjecture. If there exists a multiple mm of 2a2a satisfying

b<m<a+b,b<m<a+b,

then p=3amp=3am. If no such mm exists, then there is some other integer nn satisfying

b<n<a+bb<n<a+b

such that p=3anp=3an.

The preceding theorem establishes pure arithmetic periodicity for every subtraction set of size 33, but the period length is not determined in general. This conjecture proposes a specific form for the period when b>3ab>3a, after reducing to relatively prime aa and bb using the scaling behavior of these games.

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Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Danny Sleator and Marla Slusky, “Subtraction games with FES sets of size 3”, arXiv:1201.3299 (2012).

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