The mixed-alphabet language conjecture for smooth words

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Let \mathpzcA={a,b}\mathpzc{A}=\{a,b\} be a mixed binary alphabet, let C∞\mathcal{C}^\infty be the set of infinite smooth words over \mathpzcA\mathpzc{A}, let Cf∞\mathcal{C}_f^\infty be the set of finite f-smooth words, and let L(x)\mathscr{L}(x) and px(n)p_x(n) denote the factor language and factor complexity of xx. Mixed-alphabet language conjecture. Over mixed alphabets, every smooth word xx satisfies

L(x)=Cf∞,\mathscr{L}(x)=\mathcal{C}_f^\infty,

and, in particular,

px(n)=pC∞(n)=pCf∞(n).p_x(n)=p_{\mathcal{C}^\infty}(n)=p_{\mathcal{C}_f^\infty}(n).

The conjecture is linked to recurrence and would imply complement and reversal invariance of every smooth-word language; the source contrasts it with failures over even and odd alphabets.

References

Primary source

Julien Cassaigne and Raphaël Henry, “The complexity of smooth words over binary alphabets”, arXiv:2603.10733 (2026).

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