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Double-Free Set


A set of positive integers is double-free if, for any integer x, the set {x,2x} !subset= S (or equivalently, x in S implies 2x not in S). For example, of the subsets of {1,2,3}, the sets emptyset, {1}, {2}, {2,3}, {1,3}, and {3} are double-free, while {1,2} and {1,2,3} are not.

The number a(n) of double-free subsets of {1,2,...,n} can be computed using a(1)=2 and the recurrence relation

 a(n)=a(n-1)(F_(b(n)+3))/(F_(b(n)+2)),
(1)

where F_n is a Fibonacci number, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, ... (OEIS A000045), and b(n) is the binary carry sequence giving the number of trailing 0s in the binary representation of n. For n=1, 2, ..., b(n) is given by 0, 1, 0, 2, 0, 1, 3, 0, 1, ... (OEIS A007814), while the corresponding a(n) are 2, 3, 6, 10, 20, 30, 60, 96, 192, ... (OEIS A050291).

Define

 r(n)=max{|S|:S subset {1,2,...,n} is double-free},
(2)

where |S| is the cardinal number of (number of members in) S. Then for n=1, 2, ..., r(n) is given by 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10, ... (OEIS A050292). An explicit formula for r(n) is given by

 r(n)=sum_(i=1)^np(i),
(3)

where

 p(i)={1   if b(i) is even; 0   if b(i) is odd,
(4)

if the characteristic function of b(n) (defined above), and the first few values of p(i) are 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, ... (OEIS A035263). A simple recurrence relation for r(n) is given by

 f(n)=[1/2n]+f(|_1/4n_|)
(5)

with f(0)=0 (Wang 1989), where |_x_| is the floor function and [x] is the ceiling function. An asymptotic formula for r(n) is given by

 r(n)∼2/3n+O(log_4n)
(6)

(Wang 1989).


See also

A-Sequence, Binary, Klarner-Rado Sequence, Sum-Free Set, Triple-Free Set

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References

Finch, S. R. "Triple-Free Set Constants." §2.26 in Mathematical Constants. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, pp. 183-185, 2003.Sloane, N. J. A. Sequences A000045/M0692, A007814, A035263, A050291 and A050292 in "The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences."Wang, E. T. H. "On Double-Free Sets of Integers." Ars Combin. 28, 97-100, 1989.

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Double-Free Set

Cite this as:

Weisstein, Eric W. "Double-Free Set." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. https://mathworld.wolfram.com/Double-FreeSet.html

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