The conjecture that the Stanley sequence from {0, 4} has subquadratic lower growth

Let A4A_4 be the Stanley sequence starting from the set {0,4}\{0,4\}. Its growth rate is compared with the scale n2/lognn^2/\log n. The conjecture for A4A_4. The sequence does not have growth rate Θ(n2/logn)\Theta(n^2/\log n); instead, it satisfies the upper bound O(n2/logn)O(n^2/\log n), while its lower bound is approximately Ω(n2δ)\Omega(n^{2-\delta}) for some δ>0\delta>0, meaning that the infimum of the values of δ\delta for which this lower bound holds is strictly positive. This challenges the heuristic prediction for irregular Stanley sequences based on random behavior. The broader question of the growth rate of Stanley sequences starting from {0,n}\{0,n\} remains open, and the stated claim is supported by numerical evidence rather than a proof.

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Primary source

Nat Sothanaphan, “Irregular Stanley sequences plausibly do not have growth Θ(n^2/n)”, arXiv:2512.11983 (2025).

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