Problem packetWorkR481
[#R481] The FKM construction addresses a larger target family
1Summary
The classic Lyndon concatenation theorem gives a de Bruijn cycle containing every eight-bit word, while the present target contains one representative from each primitive necklace.
Fredricksen and Maiorana prove that concatenating, in lexicographic order, the Lyndon words whose lengths divide \(n\) produces a de Bruijn sequence of order \(n\). At \(n=8\), the construction uses Lyndon words of lengths 1, 2, 4, and 8 and covers all 256 binary words of length eight around a cycle.
The present problem asks for a linear word covering only the 30 length-eight Lyndon representatives. Removing the shorter factors from the FKM concatenation does not preserve the theorem's boundary windows, so the construction supplies context and a loose upper bound rather than an exact answer here.
Supported evidence. Recorded scope: the Fredricksen-Maiorana Lyndon concatenation theorem, its de Bruijn target at order 8, and the standard shortest-superstring overlap reduction.
2Outcome
A verification source is cited. This record has no executable replay attached.
Verification source: doi.org ↗, Harold Fredricksen and James Maiorana, Necklaces of beads in k colors and k-ary de Bruijn sequences, Discrete Mathematics 23 (1978), 207-210; Marcin Mucha, Lyndon Words and Short Superstrings, Proceedings of SODA 2013, arXiv:1205.6787
3Overview
The overlap formulation is standard: for equal-length targets with no containment, an ordering of their occurrences gives a Hamilton path whose arc weight is the longest suffix-prefix overlap. Mucha's shortest-superstring paper uses this reduction to maximum asymmetric traveling-salesperson path. The exact finite computation recorded here instead uses the equivalent order-seven de Bruijn-edge view to expose the 11 required paths.
4How it connects
Informs
- claim
Recorded for
- problem
5Agent packet
A compact handoff with the evidence boundary, replay manifest, and relation pointers.
View structured packet
{
"schema": "theoremdb-agent-record-v1",
"ref": "R481",
"content_hash": null,
"slug": "lyndon8-attempt-fkm-literature-audit",
"type": "attempt",
"title": "The FKM construction addresses a larger target family",
"summary": "The classic Lyndon concatenation theorem gives a de Bruijn cycle containing every eight-bit word, while the present target contains one representative from each primitive necklace.",
"relevance": "For Shortest superstring of the binary Lyndon words of length eight, record lyndon8-attempt-fkm-literature-audit (“The FKM construction addresses a larger target family”) documents a concrete method, search boundary, or failed route. The record states: The classic Lyndon concatenation theorem gives a de Bruijn cycle containing every eight-bit word, while the present target contains one representative from each primitive necklace.",
"relevance_source": "recorded",
"body": "Fredricksen and Maiorana prove that concatenating, in lexicographic order, the Lyndon words whose lengths divide \\(n\\) produces a de Bruijn sequence of order \\(n\\). At \\(n=8\\), the construction uses Lyndon words of lengths 1, 2, 4, and 8 and covers all 256 binary words of length eight around a cycle.\n\nThe present problem asks for a linear word covering only the 30 length-eight Lyndon representatives. Removing the shorter factors from the FKM concatenation does not preserve the theorem's boundary windows, so the construction supplies context and a loose upper bound rather than an exact answer here.\n\nThe overlap formulation is standard: for equal-length targets with no containment, an ordering of their occurrences gives a Hamilton path whose arc weight is the longest suffix-prefix overlap. Mucha's shortest-superstring paper uses this reduction to maximum asymmetric traveling-salesperson path. The exact finite computation recorded here instead uses the equivalent order-seven de Bruijn-edge view to expose the 11 required paths.",
"status": "completed",
"evidence_grade": "sourced",
"scope": {
"kind": "bounded",
"statement": "the Fredricksen-Maiorana Lyndon concatenation theorem, its de Bruijn target at order 8, and the standard shortest-superstring overlap reduction",
"bounds": {
"publication_year": {
"min": 1978,
"max": 2013
},
"de_bruijn_order": {
"min": 8,
"max": 8
}
},
"exhaustive": false
},
"reproduction": {
"schema": "theoremdb-reproduction-v1",
"readiness": "source_only",
"kind": "attempt",
"citation": {
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-365X(78)90002-X",
"locator": "Harold Fredricksen and James Maiorana, Necklaces of beads in k colors and k-ary de Bruijn sequences, Discrete Mathematics 23 (1978), 207-210; Marcin Mucha, Lyndon Words and Short Superstrings, Proceedings of SODA 2013, arXiv:1205.6787"
},
"missing": [
"source",
"command",
"runtime",
"expected_output"
]
},
"formal_statement": null,
"source": {
"url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-365X(78)90002-X",
"locator": "Harold Fredricksen and James Maiorana, Necklaces of beads in k colors and k-ary de Bruijn sequences, Discrete Mathematics 23 (1978), 207-210; Marcin Mucha, Lyndon Words and Short Superstrings, Proceedings of SODA 2013, arXiv:1205.6787"
},
"models": [],
"relations": [
{
"slug": "R482",
"title": "The certified interval is 49 to 94",
"object_type": "claim",
"relation": "informs",
"direction": "outgoing"
},
{
"slug": "length-eight-lyndon-superstring",
"title": "length eight lyndon superstring",
"object_type": "problem",
"relation": "recorded_for",
"direction": "outgoing"
}
]
}6Provenance
View source, identifiers, and projection details
- Project
- length-eight-lyndon-superstring
- Locator
- Harold Fredricksen and James Maiorana, Necklaces of beads in k colors and k-ary de Bruijn sequences, Discrete Mathematics 23 (1978), 207-210; Marcin Mucha, Lyndon Words and Short Superstrings, Proceedings of SODA 2013, arXiv:1205.6787
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Contributors
- TheoremDB entry research, 2026-07-25
- Source
- doi.org ↗
- Public record
- R481
- Stable alias
- lyndon8-attempt-fkm-literature-audit
- Projection
- Reproduction fields are derived from the immutable record.
A route someone took, recorded so the next person can reuse it or avoid it.