cp's OEIS Frontend

a(n) is the least integer such that there is an n-element set of integers between 0 and a(n), the sums of pairs (of not necessarily distinct elements) of which are distinct.

From David W. Wilson, Aug 17 2007: (Start)

An n-mark Golomb ruler has a unique integer distance between any pair of marks and thus measures n(n-1)/2 distinct integer distances.

An optimal n-mark Golomb ruler has the smallest possible length (distance between the two end marks) for an n-mark ruler.

A perfect n-mark Golomb ruler has length exactly n(n-1)/2 and measures each distance from 1 to n(n-1)/2. (End)

Positions where A143824 increases (see also A227590). - N. J. A. Sloane, Apr 08 2016

From Gus Wiseman, May 17 2019: (Start)

Also the smallest m such that there exists a length-n composition of m for which every restriction to a subinterval has a different sum. Representatives of compositions for the first few terms are:

0: ()

1: (1)

3: (2,1)

6: (2,3,1)

11: (3,1,5,2)

17: (4,2,3,7,1)

Representatives of corresponding Golomb rulers are:

{0}

{0,1}

{0,2,3}

{0,2,5,6}

{0,3,4,9,11}

{0,4,6,9,16,17}

(End)

Wanted: a recurrence. Are any of A169940-A169954 related to any other entries in the OEIS?

Leading entry in row n of triangle in A169940. Also the number of Sidon sets A with min(A) = 0 and max(A) = n. Odd for all n since {0,n} is the only symmetric Golomb ruler, and reversal preserves the Golomb property. Bounded from above by A032020 since the ruler {0 < r_1 < ... < r_t < n} gives rise to a composition of n: (r_1 - 0, r_2 - r_1, ... , n - r_t) with distinct parts. - Tomas Boothby, May 15 2012

Also the number of compositions of n such that every restriction to a subinterval has a different sum. This is a stronger condition than all distinct consecutive subsequences having a different sum (cf. A325676). - Gus Wiseman, May 16 2019

A Golomb ruler of length n is a subset of {0..n} containing 0 and n and such that every pair of distinct terms has a different difference up to sign.

Also the number of minimal (most refined) compositions of n such that every restriction to a subinterval has a different sum.

Also numbers whose binary indices together with 0 define a Golomb ruler.

The k-th composition in standard order (row k of A066099) is obtained by taking the set of positions of 1's in the reversed binary expansion of k, prepending 0, taking first differences, and reversing again.

Also the number of length-k compositions of n such that every restriction to a subinterval has a different sum. A composition of n is a finite sequence of positive integers summing to n.

When the set {x(1),x(2),...,x(k)} satisfies the property that all differences |x(i)-x(j)| are distinct (or alternately, all the sums are distinct), then it is called a Sidon set. So a(n) is the maximum cardinality of a dense Sidon subset of {1,2,...,n}. - Sayan Dutta, Aug 29 2024

See A143823 for the number of subsets of {1, 2, ..., n} with the required property.

See A003022 (and A227590) for the values of n such that a(n+1) > a(n). - Boris Bukh, Jul 28 2013

Can be formulated as an integer linear program: maximize sum {i = 1 to n} z[i] subject to z[i] + z[j] - 1 <= y[i,j] for all i < j, sum {i = 1 to n - d} y[i,i+d] <= 1 for d = 1 to n - 1, z[i] in {0,1} for all i, y[i,j] in {0,1} for all i < j. - Rob Pratt, Feb 09 2010

If the zeroth term is removed, the run-lengths are A270813 with 1 prepended. - Gus Wiseman, Jun 07 2019

A composition of n is a finite sequence of positive integers summing to n.

A circular subinterval is a sequence of consecutive indices where the first and last indices are also considered consecutive.

For n > 0, a(n) is the number of subsets of Z_n which contain 0 and such that every ordered pair of distinct elements has a different difference (modulo n). The elements of a subset correspond with the partial sums of a composition. For example, when n = 8 the subset {0,2,7} corresponds with the composition (251). - Andrew Howroyd, Mar 24 2025

A necklace composition of n is a finite sequence of positive integers summing to n that is lexicographically minimal among all of its cyclic rotations.

A circular subinterval is a sequence of consecutive indices where the first and last indices are also considered consecutive.