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Conference rusure::math

Title:Mathematics at DEC
Moderator:RUSURE::EDP
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2083
Total number of notes:14613

14.0. "Distinct Difference Triangle" by HARE::STAN () Mon Jan 23 1984 06:01

Here is a problem that I have been working on recently.
I got it from Prof. George Berzsenyi of Lamar University.

For a given n, consider a set of n strictly increasing
positive integers.  Take each of their successive differences.
Continue doing this until just one difference is left.
You wind up with a triangle of differences.  We would like to
pick the original set of n numbers so that each member of this
triangle is positive and the numbers are all distinct.
Furthermore, we would like to minimize the largest number of the set.

For example, for n=10, here are 10 numbers (in the leftmost column)
that forms such a complete distinct difference triangle.
The largest number in the set is 2148, which I currently believe
is the minimum for n=10.

  27   15  10   2   3   1   6   8  16  18
  42   25  12   5   4   7  14  24  34
  67   37  17   9  11  21  38  58
 104   54  26  20  32  59  96
 158   80  46  52  91 155
 238  126  98 143 246
 364  224 241 389
 588  465 630
1053 1095
2148

I have written a computer program to find this minimum and have run it
to get the value for n=1 to n=9.  The results are summarized below:

n	minimum value for largest member of set

1	1
2	3
3	8
4	20
5	43
6	98
7	212
8	465
9	1000

I don't have a proof yet for n=10 that 2148 is best, since my program
ran for 3 days and didn't finish when the machine came down.
(n=9 took 30 minutes, but the algorithm does not run in polynomial time).
I suspect I need a better algorithm.  Gilbert has helped me improve
my current algorithm.  Anyone care to take a crack at n=10 or higher?

The best triangles for n=2 through n=9 are enclosed in the first
reply to this note.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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14.1HARE::STANMon Jan 23 1984 06:01216
N= 2

   1   2
   3


   2   1
   3



  2 solutions found.  Maximum=   3


N= 3

   2   1   4
   3   5
   8


   4   1   2
   5   3
   8



  2 solutions found.  Maximum=   8



N= 4

   2   3   1   6
   5   4   7
   9  11
  20


   4   1   2   7
   5   3   9
   8  12
  20


   4   2   1   7
   6   3   8
   9  11
  20


   6   1   3   2
   7   4   5
  11   9
  20


   7   1   2   4
   8   3   6
  11   9
  20


   7   2   1   4
   9   3   5
  12   8
  20



  6 solutions found.  Maximum=  20



N= 5

   6   4   1   2   7
  10   5   3   9
  15   8  12
  23  20
  43


   7   2   1   4   6
   9   3   5  10
  12   8  15
  20  23
  43



  2 solutions found.  Maximum=  43



N= 6

   8   6   1   3   2  10
  14   7   4   5  12
  21  11   9  17
  32  20  26
  52  46
  98


  10   2   3   1   6   8
  12   5   4   7  14
  17   9  11  21
  26  20  32
  46  52
  98



  2 solutions found.  Maximum=  98



N= 7

  11   7   2   1   4   6  13
  18   9   3   5  10  19
  27  12   8  15  29
  39  20  23  44
  59  43  67
 102 110
 212


  13   6   4   1   2   7  11
  19  10   5   3   9  18
  29  15   8  12  27
  44  23  20  39
  67  43  59
 110 102
 212



  2 solutions found.  Maximum= 212



N= 8

  15  10   2   3   1   6   8  16
  25  12   5   4   7  14  24
  37  17   9  11  21  38
  54  26  20  32  59
  80  46  52  91
 126  98 143
 224 241
 465


  16   8   6   1   3   2  10  15
  24  14   7   4   5  12  25
  38  21  11   9  17  37
  59  32  20  26  54
  91  52  46  80
 143  98 126
 241 224
 465



  2 solutions found.  Maximum= 465



N= 9

  17  11   7   2   1   4   6  13  21
  28  18   9   3   5  10  19  34
  46  27  12   8  15  29  53
  73  39  20  23  44  82
 112  59  43  67 126
 171 102 110 193
 273 212 303
 485 515
1000


  17  13   6   4   1   2   7  11  21
  30  19  10   5   3   9  18  32
  49  29  15   8  12  27  50
  78  44  23  20  39  77
 122  67  43  59 116
 189 110 102 175
 299 212 277
 511 489
1000


  21  11   7   2   1   4   6  13  17
  32  18   9   3   5  10  19  30
  50  27  12   8  15  29  49
  77  39  20  23  44  78
 116  59  43  67 122
 175 102 110 189
 277 212 299
 489 511
1000


  21  13   6   4   1   2   7  11  17
  34  19  10   5   3   9  18  28
  53  29  15   8  12  27  46
  82  44  23  20  39  73
 126  67  43  59 112
 193 110 102 171
 303 212 273
 515 485
1000


14.2AURORA::HALLYBSat Jan 28 1984 23:2615
From the description of the problem I deduce that a triangle of the form

10	2	5	3
12	7	2
19	5
24

is illegal not only because of the duplications but also because the second
column is not strictly increasing, which perhaps implies the 2 in the third
column should be -2.  Right?  This implies that each (n+1)-sequence must
contain an n-sequence as the first set of differences.  Intuition tells me
then that the mimimum entry in these triangles must be more than twice the
minimum value of the 1-smaller triangle, which is supported for n=1 to 9.
This also implies that 2148 is close to a minimum, if not the minimum itself.
But you already knew that...
14.3HARE::STANSun Jan 29 1984 21:404
Correct.  The differences ( a    - a  ) must be positive.
			     n+1    n

In your example, the 2 in the third column should be a -2.
14.4LAMBDA::VOSBURYWed Feb 15 1984 18:3994
The following two pages are the essential contents of two messages I MAILed
to Stan a few weeks ago concerning this problem.  He suggested I post them
here and I've just gotten around to it.

Mike.

I played around a little with what you called Distinct Difference Triangles. 
At the risk of belaboring the obvious, a few things struck me. 

The first was that your solutions come in symmetric pairs.  This is basically
because your problem is isomorphic to the following one:

  Write down in a row N positive integers.
  Form a triangle where each number is the sum of the two numbers above it.
  Require that each number in the triangle be distinct.
  Find the triangle with the smallest number at the apex.

For example (using one of your triangles):

	6    4      1     2     7
	  10     5     3     9
	     15     8    11
	        23    29
                   43

It may be more profitable to take this viewpoint.  For example, the number at
the apex (call it S) is a simple function of the N numbers in the top row 
(call them A(i) for 0 <= i <= N-1):

            N-1
	   ----
	   \    N-1
     S =    >  (   ) * A(i)
           /     i
	   ----
            i=0

Your search algorithm could be:

  Pick N distinct integers to form the top row.
  Calculate S.
  If it is greater than that of the best solution so far, abandon this try.
  Otherwise, generate the triangle checking for duplicate entries.

The form of S suggests that the middle of the top row should contain the small
numbers with the larger ones on the ends. Given a good initial solution and
some care in choosing the numbers in the top row you should be able to quickly
run through all of the possible top rows. 

The other thing that I noticed in the examples you gave was that the solution
for N-2 was to be found embedded in the solution for N (for N>4). I don't
immediately see that this MUST be so, but it suggests the following method for
generating a trial solution before using the search algorithm described above:

  Take a solution for N-2.
  Pick two numbers not found in the N-2 triangle and place them to the left
   and right of the top row of the N-2 solution.
  Generate the missing outsides of the order N triangle, checking for 
   duplicate entries.
  Repeat as necessary, until you get a solution and then search as above
   for a better one.

Having a good initial solution should help you prune the hell out of the 
search tree.  

I produced the following in a few minutes via DIGICALC:


18    15      10       2        3         1       6       8     16    23
   33     25      12       5         4        7      14      24    39
      58      37      17        9        11      21      38     63
          95      54      26        20       32      59     101
             149      80       46        52      91     160
                 229     126        98      143     251
                     355      224       241     394
                         579       465      635
                             1044      1100
                                  2144


I just eye-balled it for duplicate entries so I may have missed one but I 
think it's OK.  The numbers 13, 19 and 22 don't work in either of the upper
corners and 23 doesn't work in the upper right, so I expect it's unique 
(except for its mirror image, of course.)

I also expect it's minimum.  Because of the weights associated with the middle
eight entries in the top row, increasing one of them by 1 would mean an
increase in the apex number of at least 9, hence the numbers on the upper
corners would have to drop by a total of 10 or more and they can't; the
numbers less than 18 and 23 are mostly all used up.  (This is not a proof, 
of course.)

Because of essentially this argument, my intuition expects that an order N
solution will always contain an order N-2 solution embedded in it.
14.5HARE::STANFri Feb 24 1984 16:151
See note 42 for a related problem.
14.6HARE::STANMon Jul 23 1984 21:0411
George's problem now appears in print as

George Berzsenyi, Complete Difference Triangles. The New James
	Cook Mathematical Notes. 4(June 1984)4054-4055.

------------------
In a private communication I received from Basil Rennie (the editor
of the JCMN), he conjectures that for n=11, the smallest maximum
number is 4562, as generated by

	<14, 35, 69, 122, 204, 330, 523, 826, 1341, 2341, 4562>.
14.7CFSCTC::GILBERTFri Jul 30 1993 03:2222
Basil Rennie's conjecture produces an apex that's too large.
Using Mike Vosbury's approach and notation (.14), the minimum apex (of 4497)
for n=11 is produced by:

	30 19 12 2 5 1 3 8 9 18 20

(Mike's solution is best for n=10.)

I have solutions for the minimal apexes (apexii?) for n <= 28.
(For n=28, the apex is 972,479,046).

FWIW, for n=4 and n=9, the triangle with minimal apex is not unique
(even after accounting for reflective symmetry), viz:

	7  2  1  4	4  2  1  7	2  3  1  6
	  9  3  5         6  3  8         5  4  7
	   12  8            9 11            9 11
             20              20              20
                                              

	21 13 6 4 1 2 7 11 17
   and	17 13 6 4 1 2 7 11 21, obviously produce the same apex.