\(r\)-critical numbers of natural intervals (Q2121732)

Summary: The critical number \(cr(r,n)\) of natural intervals \([r,n]\) was introduced by \textit{M. Herzog} et al. in [J. Number Theory 138, 69--83 (2014; Zbl 1366.11015)]. The critical number \(\operatorname{cr}(r,n)\) is the smallest integer \(t\) satisfying the following conditions: (i) every sequence of integers \(S=\{r_1=r\le r_2\le \cdots\le r_k\}\) with \(r_1+r_2 +\cdots +r_k=n\) and \(k\ge t\) has the following property: every integer between \(r\) and \(n-r\) can be written as a sum of distinct elements of \(S\), and (ii) there exists \(S\) with \(k=t\), which satisfies that property. In this paper we study a variation of the critical number \(\operatorname{cr}(r, n)\) called the \(r\)-critical number \(r\operatorname{cr}(r, n)\). We determine the value of \(r\operatorname{cr}(r, n)\) for all \(r, n\) satisfying \(r\mid n\).