Resolving a conjecture on degree of regularity of linear homogeneous equations (Q406699)

Summary: A linear equation is \(r\)-regular, if, for every \(r\)-coloring of the positive integers, there exist positive integers of the same color which satisfy the equation. \textit{J. Fox} and \textit{R. Radoićič} [``The axiom of choice and the degree of regularity of equations over the reals'', Preprint (2005)] conjectured that the equation \(x_1 + 2x_2 + \cdots + 2^{n-2}x_{n-1}-2^{n-1}x_n = 0\), for any \(n \geqslant 2\), has a degree of regularity of \(n-1\), which would verify a conjecture of \textit{R. Rado} [Math. Z. 36, 424--480 (1933; Zbl 0006.14603)]. Rado's conjecture has since been verified with a different family of equations. In this paper, we show that Fox and Radoićič's family of equations indeed have a degree of regularity of \(n-1\). We also prove a few extensions of this result.