A360029 Consider a ruler composed of n segments with lengths 1, 1/2, 1/3, ..., 1/n with total length A001008(n)/A002805(n). a(n) is the minimum number of distinct distances of all pairs of marks that can be achieved by permuting the positions of the segments.
1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 18, 25, 33, 42, 52, 63, 71, 84, 98, 107, 123, 140, 152, 171, 185, 198, 220, 243, 256, 281, 307, 334, 354, 383, 403, 434, 466, 489, 523, 552, 581, 618, 656, 695, 728
Offset: 1
Examples
a(6) = 18: permuted segment lengths 1, 1/4, 1/2, 1/3, 1/6, 1/5 -> marks at 0, 1, 5/4, 7/4, 25/12, 9/4, 49/20 -> 18 distinct distances 1/6, 1/5, 1/4, 1/3, 11/30, 1/2, 7/10, 3/4, 5/6, 1, 13/12, 6/5, 5/4, 29/20, 7/4, 25/12, 9/4, 49/20, whereas the non-permuted ruler with marks at 0, 1, 3/2, 11/6, 25/12, 137/60, 49/20 gives 21 distinct distances 1/6, 1/5, 1/4, 1/3, 11/30, 9/20, 1/2, 7/12, 37/60, 47/60, 5/6, 19/20, 1, 13/12, 77/60, 29/20, 3/2, 11/6, 25/12, 137/60, 49/20.
Links
- Hugo Pfoertner, Examples of rulers with the minimum number of measurable distances up to n=38, Feb 01 2023.
Programs
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PARI
a360029(n) = {if (n<=1, 1, my (mi=oo); w = vectorsmall(n-1, i, i+1); forperm (w, p, my(v=vector(n,i,1/i), L=List(v)); for (m=1, n, v[m] = 1 + sum (k=1, m-1, 1/p[k]); listput(L, v[m])); for (i=1, n-1, for (j=i+1, n, listput (L, v[j]-v[i]))); mi = min(mi, #Set(L))); mi)};
Extensions
a(39)-a(40) from Hugo Pfoertner, Feb 19 2023
Comments