A connection between covers of the integers and unit fractions

DOI10.1016/J.AAM.2006.02.002MaRDI QIDQ2643870zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Zhi-Wei Sun

Publication date 27 August 2007

Published in Advances in Applied Mathematics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0411305

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Congruences; primitive roots; residue systems (11A07) Arithmetic progressions (11B25) Special sequences and polynomials (11B83)

Abstract: For integers a and n>0, let a(n) denote the residue class {xin Z: x=a (mod n)}. Let A be a collection {a_s(n_s)}_{s=1}^k of finitely many residue classes such that A covers all the integers at least m times but {a_s(n_s)}_{s=1}^{k-1} does not. We show that if n_k is a period of the covering function w_A(x)=|{1le sle k: xin a_s(n_s)}| then for any r=0,...,n_k-1 there are at least m integers in the form $su{m}_{sinI}1/n_s-r/n_k$ with I contained in {1,...,k-1}.

Review text

For integers \(a\) and \(n>0\), let \(a(n)\) denote the residue class \(\{x\in \mathbb Z: x=a \pmod n\}\). Let \(A\) be a collection \(\{a_s(n_s)\}_{s=1}^k\) of finitely many residue classes such that \(A\) covers all the integers at least \(m\) times but \(\{a_s(n_s)\}_{s=1}^{k-1}\) does not. Then the author proves that if \(n_k\) is a period of the covering function \(w_A(x)=|\{1\leq s\leq k: x\in a_s(n_s)\}|\) then for any \(r=0,\dots,n_k-1\) we have \[ \left| \left\{\left\lfloor \sum_{s \in I}\frac{1}{n^s}\right\rfloor: I\subseteq [1,k-1]\;\text{and}\;\left\{\sum_{s \in I}\frac{1}{n^s}\right\}=\frac{r}{n_k}\right\}\right| \geq m, \] where \(\lfloor \alpha \rfloor\) and \(\{ \alpha \}\) denote, respectively, the integral part and the fractional part of \(\alpha\). Several remarks are given: \(n_k\) need not be the largest modulus among \(n_1,\dots,n_k\); for \(m=1\), \(n_k=N_A\) (\(N_A\) denotes the least common multiple of the moduli \(n_1,\dots,n_k\)) the theorem is an easy consequence of a previous paper of the author [Acta Arith. 72, No. 2, 109--129 (1995; Zbl 0841.11011)] (as observed by the author's twin brother Z. H. Sun) and finally a stronger result can be proved when \(w_A(x)=m\) for all \(x\in \mathbb Z\).

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Cites work

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Cited in

(3)

• Sieving by large integers and covering systems of congruences
• A sharp result on m-covers
• Zero-sum problems for abelian \(p\)-groups and covers of the integers by residue classes

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