Linear, non-homogeneous, symmetric patterns and prime power generators in numerical semigroups associated to combinatorial configurations. (Q2447220)

An incidence structure is a set of points and lines equipped with an incidence relation. A combinatorial configuration is an incidence structure where through each pair of points passes at most one line. A combinatorial \((v,b,r,k)\)-configuration is a configuration with \(v\) points, \(b\) lines, through each point pass \(r\) lines and there are \(k\) points on every line. The tuple \((v,b,r,k)\) can be simply represented by \((d,r,k)\) with \(d=vr/\mathrm{lcm}(r,k)=bk/\mathrm{lcm}(r,k)\). Fixed \((r,k)\), \(r,k\in\mathbb N\), \(r\geq 2\), \(k\geq 2\), let \(S_{(r,k)}\) be the set of all \(d\) such that there exists a combinatorial \((d,r,k)\)-configuration. The authors in a previous work prove that this set is a numerical semigroup [\textit{M. Bras-Amorós} and \textit{K. Stokes}, Semigroup Forum 84, No. 1, 91-96 (2012; Zbl 1293.05030)], that is, it is a submonoid of the monoid of nonnegative integers under addition with finite complement in \(\mathbb N\). A configuration is balanced if \(r=k\). The numerical semigroups \(S_{(r,r)}\) admit the patterns \(x+y-1\) and \(x+y+1\), that is, for every \(x,y\in S_{(r,r)}\) both \(x+y-1\) and \(x+y+1\) are in \(S_{(r,r)}\). Moreover, the multiplicity of \(S_{(r,r)}\) (the least positive integer in this semigroup) is lower bounded by \(r^2-r+1\), and this bound is attained under certain condition. Also an upper bound for the conductor of \(S_{(r,r)}\) is provided, where the conductor of a numerical semigroup is the largest integer not in the semigroup plus one (and so \(c+\mathbb N\) is contained in the semigroup; actually it is the least integer with this property). For \(r\) and \(k\) not necessarily equal, the authors observe that the semigroups \(S_{(r,k)}\) admit the patterns \(x+y-n\) for every \(n\in\{1,\ldots,\gcd(r,k)\}\). An upper bound for the conductor of \(S_{(r,k)}\) is derived in terms of \(m\), \(r\) and \(k\), where \(m\) is the multiplicity of \(S_{(r,k)}\). If \(r\) and \(k\) are coprime, then an alternative bound for the conductor of \(S_{(r,k)}\) is offered, together with an upper bound for the multiplicity.