The perfect extremal Skolem set conjecture

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Let A={a1,a2,…,an}A=\{a_1,a_2,\dots,a_n\} be a set with a1>a2>⋯>ana_1>a_2>\dots>a_n and total sum ∑i=1nai=n2\sum_{i=1}^n a_i=n^2. A perfect extremal Skolem set is a perfect Skolem set satisfying this extremal equality. The perfect extremal Skolem set conjecture. The set AA is a perfect extremal Skolem set if and only if the number of even aia_i's is even and

∑i=1mai≤m(2n−m)\sum^m_{i=1}a_i\leq m(2n-m)

for each 1≤m≤n1\leq m\leq n. This is the extremal special case of the perfect Skolem set conjecture. The source notes that the analogous assertion fails for multisets, but gives no separate resolution for ordinary sets.

References

Primary source

Gustav Nordh, “Perfect Skolem sets”, arXiv:math/0506155 (2005).

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