Nearly subadditive sequences (Q2216925)

The authors study extensions of \textit{M. Fekete}'s Lemma [Math. Z. 17, 228--249 (1923; JFM 49.0047.01)]:\par \textit{Fekete's Lemma.} Given a sequence \(0\leq f(1)\leq f(2)\leq f(3)\leq \ldots\) such that \[\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\,\frac{f(n)}{n^2}=\infty,\] there exists a sequence \(\{b(n)\}_{n\in\mathbb{N}}\) with \[b(n+m)\leq b(n)+b(m)+f(n+m),\] such that the sequence of slopes \(\{b(n)/n\}_{n\in\mathbb{N}}\) takes every rational number as value.\par The starting point of the paper is a theorem by \textit{N. G. de Bruijn} and \textit{P. Erdős} [Nederl. Akad. Wet., Proc., Ser. A 55 (Indag. Math. 14), 152--163 (1952; Zbl 0047.06303)] and the main results of the paper are the following. \par \textit{Theorem 2.} Suppose \(\mu >1\) and \(N\geq 1\) are given. If \(\{a(1),a(2),\ldots\}\) is \((\mu,N)\)-subadditive, i.e. \[a(n+m)\leq a(n)+a(m),\quad n\leq m\leq \mu n;\ n,m\geq N,\] then \(\lim_{n\rightarrow\infty}a(n)/n\) exists and equals \(\inf_{k\geq N} a(k)/k\). (It may be \(-\infty\).)\par \textit{Theorem 3.} Suppose \(\mu>1\) and \(N\geq 1\) are given and \(f\) is a non-negative monotone increasing real function satisfying \[\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\,\frac{f(n)}{n^2}\text{ is finite}.\] If the sequence \(\{a(1),a(2),\ldots\}\) is \((\mu,N,f)\)-subadditive, i.e., \[a(n+m)\leq a(n)+a(m)+f(n+m),\quad m\leq n\leq \mu m; \ m,n\geq N,\] then \(\lim_{n\rightarrow\infty} a(n)/n\) exists. (It may be \(-\infty\).)\par \textit{Theorem 4.} Let \(f(n)\) be a non-negative, non-decreasing sequence and suppose \[\sum_{1\leq n <\infty}\,\frac{f(n)}{n^2}=\infty.\] Then there exists a nearly \(f\)-subadditive sequence \(b(1),b(2),b(3),\ldots\) of rational numbers, i.e., for all integers \(m,n\geq 1\), \[b(n+m)\leq b(n)+b(m)+f(n+m),\] such that the set of slopes takes all rationals exactly once.