The maximum-row-size conjecture for prefix-reversal generating triples

From papers

For integers nn and kk with n>k+1n>k+1, define

Fk(n)={m:k<m<n, rn,rm,rk=Symn}.F_k(n)=\{m:k<m<n,\ \langle r_n,r_m,r_k\rangle=\operatorname{Sym}_n\}.

Maximum-row-size conjecture.

maxn>k+1Fk(n)={k+1if k is even,k+12if k is odd.\max_{n>k+1}|F_k(n)|=\begin{cases} k+1&\text{if }k\text{ is even},\\ \frac{k+1}{2}&\text{if }k\text{ is odd}. \end{cases}

The conjecture is motivated by computational experiments and the displayed generating-triple patterns; the source gives no proof or resolution.

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Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Saúl A. Blanco, Mikhail P. Golubyatnikov, Elena V. Konstantinova, Natalia V. Maslova and Luka A. Nikiforov, “Generating the symmetric group by three prefix reversals”, arXiv:2511.16959 (2025).

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