[#P2538] Eventual monotonicity in a signed subset-sum local limit
Contents
Problem. Let independent signs \(\varepsilon_k\) take values \(\pm1\) equally likely, set \(S_n=\sum_{k=1}^n k\varepsilon_k\), and \(\sigma_n^2=\sum_{k=1}^n k^2\). Among n with \(n(n+1)/2\) even, is the sequence \(\sigma_n\Pr(S_n=0)\) strictly increasing once \(n\ge16\)?
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Work on this problem in ChatGPTDefinitions and notation
1Remarks
Remark 1. The parity condition is necessary and sufficient for zero to lie on the support lattice.
Remark 2. The admissible n are those congruent to 0 or 3 modulo 4, ordered in the usual way.
2What counts as a solution
- Prove every consecutive admissible comparison is strict after n=16, or exhibit an admissible counterexample.
1Status
1Packet records
Recent contributions
Notes and companion material
Exact coefficient tables make any proposed threshold checkable. Analytic work should record a remainder bound strong enough to dominate the next-term difference.
Original intake status. Status not established. No literature search was performed. Local central limit expansions for weighted Bernoulli sums may decide it.
- The attractive route is a local central limit expansion whose leading term tends to \(\sqrt{2/\pi}\).
- The obstruction is the interleaving of the two parity subsequences and the sign of the lattice correction. The normalized sequence decreases at several small transitions, so a leading asymptotic term is insufficient.
Recorded example 1. At n=16 the normalized value is approximately 0.775498980775.
Computational notes
- Arbitrary-precision integer subset-sum dynamic programming checked every admissible n through 500. The only decreases in the combined admissible sequence occurred at 3 to 4, 8 to 11, and 15 to 16. Values at n=100, 200, and 500 were approximately 0.794303753371, 0.796091731844, and 0.797166849838. The exact zero-sum count at n=200 was 780463610226751719065842218999070243255558586796769387244.
How the 5 records connect
ProblemEventual monotonicity in a signed subset-sum local limit
- Claim 1The all-n monotonicity claim remains unresolved in this auditin this packetSupported
- Computation 1All 492 comparisons through n=1000 are strict increasessupportsComputational evidence
- Claim 2Each monotonicity comparison reduces to an integer inequalitysupportsReported
- Artifact 1Bit-packed exact subset-sum computation through n=1000verifiesExecutable material
- Route 1Published growth and asymptotic results stop short of the requested comparisoninformsInconclusive
All 5 recorded relations between these records and the problem
- Each monotonicity comparison reduces to an integer inequality supports All 492 comparisons through n=1000 are strict increases
- Bit-packed exact subset-sum computation through n=1000 verifies All 492 comparisons through n=1000 are strict increases
- All 492 comparisons through n=1000 are strict increases supports The all-n monotonicity claim remains unresolved in this audit
- Published growth and asymptotic results stop short of the requested comparison informs The all-n monotonicity claim remains unresolved in this audit
- Bit-packed exact subset-sum computation through n=1000 tests The all-n monotonicity claim remains unresolved in this audit
2See also
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Cite this problem statement
Cite the original sources separately.
“Eventual monotonicity in a signed subset-sum local limit.” TheoremDB. P2538. Problem statement; statement text SHA-256 9a0b1a748dfe90ec380b3bf91f04b39e400593d81ad14ca3a51c571aac9ddd28. https://theoremdb.org/statement/?ref=P2538
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This problem includes 5 records joined by 5 typed links, sourced from cs.uwaterloo.ca[1], current as of July 24, 2026.
1References
- Packet source. Blair D. Sullivan, On a Conjecture of Andrica and Tomescu, Journal of Integer Sequences 16 (2013), Article 13.3.1. Theorem 4 and its proof. ↗ open copy ↗journal article · primary source · version of record · checked 2026-07-24Source use: citation only.Proves the first-order asymptotic for the zero-sum sign count, without an effective adjacent-monotonicity threshold.Also cited at Sullivan 2013, Theorem 4: first-order asymptotic for the central coefficient.Also cited at Independent exact computation in ssclt-artifact-bitpacked-dp, executed 2026-07-24.Also cited at Inline CPython standard-library computation executed on 2026-07-24.Also cited at Andrica and Tomescu, Journal of Integer Sequences 5 (2002), Article 02.2.4; Sullivan, Journal of Integer Sequences 16 (2013), Article 13.3.1; OEIS A063865; search performed 2026-07-24.Source named by the research packet.For Eventual monotonicity in a signed subset-sum local limit: The located papers identify the coefficient and its limit; neither supplies strict normalized monotonicity from n=16.
- OEIS Foundation Inc., A063865, number of solutions to ±1 ±2 ... ± n = 0 (checked 27 July 2026). Definition, coefficient formula, references, and term table. ↗reference database · reference source · web version checked 2026-08-01 · checked 2026-07-24Source use: citation only.Records the exact zero-sum sign counts and cross-references the two analytic papers used in the audit.Also cited at A063865, zero-sum sign counts, coefficient formula, references, and term table; accessed 2026-07-24.Also cited at A063865 gives the sign-count and central-coefficient interpretations; the recurrence and cleared comparison are derived directly here.For Eventual monotonicity in a signed subset-sum local limit: A central coefficient recurrence gives the exact probability, and squaring clears every square root and power-of-two denominator.
- Dorin Andrica and Ioan Tomescu, On an Integer Sequence Related to a Product of Trigonometric Functions, and Its Combinatorial Relevance, Journal of Integer Sequences 5 (2002), Article 02.2.4. Abstract, coefficient identity, and main conjecture. ↗journal article · primary source · version of record · checked 2026-07-24Source use: citation only.Gives the central-coefficient identity, the four-step growth bound, and the original asymptotic conjecture.Also cited at Dorin Andrica and Ioan Tomescu, Journal of Integer Sequences 5 (2002), Article 02.2.4, abstract and full paper.
Original finite-to-asymptotic monotonicity target for weighted Rademacher sums.
Discussion
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