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Article
Rainbow Arithmetic Progressions
Journal of Combinatorics
  • Steve Butler, Iowa State University
  • Craig Erickson, Grand View University
  • Leslie Hogben, Iowa State University
  • Kirsten Hogenson, Iowa State University
  • Lucas Kramer, Bethel College
  • Richard Kramer, Iowa State University
  • Jephian C. H. Lin, Iowa State University
  • Ryan R. Martin, Iowa State University
  • Derrick Stolee, Iowa State University
  • Nathan Warnberg, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
  • Michael Young, Iowa State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Accepted Manuscript
Publication Date
1-1-2016
DOI
10.4310/JOC.2016.v7.n4.a3
Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the anti-Ramsey (more precisely, anti-van der Waerden) properties of arithmetic progressions. For positive integers n and k, the expression aw([n]; k) denotes the smallest number of colors with which the integers f1; : : : ; ng can be colored and still guarantee there is a rainbow arithmetic progression of length k. We establish that aw([n]; 3) = (log n) and aw([n]; k) = n1o(1) for k 4. For positive integers n and k, the expression aw(Zn; k) denotes the smallest number of colors with which elements of the cyclic group of order n can be colored and still guarantee there is a rainbow arithmetic progression of length k. In this setting, arithmetic progressions can \wrap around," and aw(Zn; 3) behaves quite differently from aw([n]; 3), depending on the divisibility of n. As shown in [Jungic et al., Combin. Probab. Comput., 2003], aw(Z2m; 3) = 3 for any positive integer m. We establish that aw(Zn; 3) can be computed from knowledge of aw(Zp; 3) for all of the prime factors p of n. However, for k 4, the behavior is similar to the previous case, that is, aw(Zn; k) = n1o(1).

Comments

This is a manuscript of an article published as Butler, Steve, Craig Erickson, Leslie Hogben, Kirsten Hogenson, Lucas Kramer, Richard Kramer, Jephian C. H. Lin, Ryan R. Martin, Derrick Stolee, Nathan Warnberg, and Michael Young. "Rainbow Arithmetic Progressions." Journal of Combinatorics 7, no. 4 (2016): 595-626. DOI: 10.4310/JOC.2016.v7.n4.a3. Posted with permission.

Copyright Owner
International Press of Boston, Inc.
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Steve Butler, Craig Erickson, Leslie Hogben, Kirsten Hogenson, et al.. "Rainbow Arithmetic Progressions" Journal of Combinatorics Vol. 7 Iss. 4 (2016) p. 595 - 626
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/leslie-hogben/32/