On exactly covering systems of arithmetic sequences (Q2531335)

A system of arithmetic sequences \[ \ldots, a_i - 2n_i, a_i - n_i, a_i, a_i + n_i, a_i+ 2n_i, \ldots\quad i = 1, 2,\ldots, k \] is said to be exactly covering if every integer belongs to exactly one of these sequences. The numbers \(n_i\) are called differences: it can be obviously supposed that \( n_1\leq n_2\leq\ldots\leq n_k\). According to a known theorem at least two of the differences of any exactly covering system are equal. In this article the following extensions of this fact are proved: Theorem 1. If \(n_k\) is an odd number, then at least three of the differences \(n_i\) are equal. Theorem 2. If \(n_k\) is odd and not divisible by 3, then at least five of the differences \(n_i\) are equal. Further, an analogue of an interesting theorem of S. K. Stein is proved in this article. Theorem 3. If in an exactly covering system there exists a single 3-tuple of equal differences \(n_i\), the other differences being distinct, then we have \(n_i = 2^i\) for \(i= 1, 2,\ldots k-3\), \(n_{k-2} = n_{k-1} = n_k=3\cdot 2^{k-3}\).