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[#P2824] Infinite additive-square avoidance over a finite integer alphabet

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Problem. Does there exist a finite set \(A\subset\mathbb Z\) and an infinite word \(a_0a_1a_2\cdots\) with every \(a_i\in A\) such that \(\sum_{r=0}^{\ell-1}a_{i+r}\ne\sum_{r=0}^{\ell-1}a_{i+\ell+r}\) for every \(i\ge0\) and every \(\ell\ge1\)?

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Definitions and notation

1Context

This question links word avoidance with zero-sum intervals: the difference sequence between adjacent block sums must avoid zero at every scale. Finite extremal words, normalized alphabets, morphism tests, and unavoidable-pattern lemmas all form reusable partial results.

2Definitions

Definition 1. An additive square is a pair of consecutive blocks of the same positive length and the same sum.

Definition 2. Avoidance means that no choice of starting index \(i\) and block length \(\ell\) gives an additive square.

Definition 3. The alphabet consists of integer values, so equality of block sums is part of the structure rather than a relabeling-invariant property.

3What counts as a solution

  • Construct a finite integer alphabet and an infinite word with a proof of every displayed inequality, or prove that every infinite word over every finite integer alphabet contains an additive square.

1Status

Saved packet · July 28, 2026

What counts as a solution

Saved packet status (The finite-integer additive-square problem remains open). The 2026-07-28 audit found neither an infinite additive-square-free word over a finite integer alphabet nor an impossibility proof; the exact finite maximum over \(\{0,1,2,4\}\) is 62, and the infinite existence question remains open.[1]

1Packet records

16 records

Notes and companion material

Original intake status. UNKNOWN as of 2026-07-28. Three current primary sources call the finite-integer additive-square problem open. The best checked exact result for the alphabet {0,1,2,4} is a maximum finite length of 62.

  • A dated 2026-07-28 search found three current papers treating the discrete finite-integer existence question as open.
  • The strongest exact finite result in the packet is length 62 for {0,1,2,4}; the Z² morphism is a neighboring positive result with a different alphabet space.
  • The controlled corpus contained no duplicate of the quantified finite-integer target.

Recorded example 1. The finite word \(012\) contains no additive square: its adjacent one-letter blocks have different sums, and it is too short for two blocks of length two.

How the 16 records connect
The overview places each record once. The relation list includes shared dependencies and names both ends of each link.

ProblemInfinite additive-square avoidance over a finite integer alphabet

2 records outside this overview
All 20 recorded relations between these records and the problem

2See also

Contribute to this problem
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Plain text
“Infinite additive-square avoidance over a finite integer alphabet.” TheoremDB. P2824. Problem statement; statement text SHA-256 be180c7b3d530747225f39d3e34819b543d1c86d5fb468b79f9716ab780998ca. https://theoremdb.org/statement/?ref=P2824
BibTeX
@misc{theoremdb-problem-be180c7b3d530747225f39d3e34819b543d1c86d5fb468b79f9716ab780998ca,
  title = {{Infinite additive-square avoidance over a finite integer alphabet}},
  howpublished = {TheoremDB},
  note = {Problem statement; statement text SHA-256 be180c7b3d530747225f39d3e34819b543d1c86d5fb468b79f9716ab780998ca},
  url = {https://theoremdb.org/statement/?ref=P2824}
}

This problem includes 16 records joined by 20 typed links, current as of July 28, 2026.

1References

  1. Ingrid Vukusic, A Lebesgue variant of the additive square problem, arXiv:2506.21200v1, abstract and opening paragraph; cross-checked against Andrade and Mol, arXiv:2408.15390v2, Introduction, and Popoli, Shallit, and Stipulanti, LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2024.32, Introduction. Abstract and opening paragraph. ↗preprint · reference source · arXiv:2506.21200v1 · checked 2026-07-28Source use: citation only.States the discrete finite-alphabet additive-square question as open and proves a continuous analogue.Also cited at The source states the discrete additive-square problem and solves a continuous analogue; this CC0 self-contained restatement was prepared on 2026-07-27.Also cited at Ingrid Vukusic, A Lebesgue variant of the additive square problem, arXiv:2506.21200v1, abstract and opening paragraph; cross-checked against Andrade and Mol, arXiv:2408.15390v2, Introduction, and Popoli, Shallit, and Stipulanti, LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2024.32, Introduction.Also cited at abstract and opening paragraph.Source used to formulate or check the problem record.Source used to assess the problem's recorded status.For Infinite additive-square avoidance over a finite integer alphabet: The 2026-07-28 audit resolved the canonical target, found no attached research records or duplicate exact targets, and separated the open Z question from known Z^2, unequal-length, approximation, cube, and bounded-alphabet results.States the discrete finite-alphabet question as open and proves a continuous analogue.
  2. Jonathan Andrade and Lucas Mol, Avoiding abelian and additive powers in rich words, arXiv:2408.15390v2, Introduction, definitions and paragraphs immediately preceding the additive-power status discussion. Introduction and the additive-power status discussion. ↗preprint · reference source · arXiv:2408.15390v2 · checked 2026-07-28Source use: citation only.Records the current open status of the exceptional additive-cube class and the finite-integer additive-square problem.Also cited at Jonathan Andrade and Lucas Mol, Avoiding abelian and additive powers in rich words, arXiv:2408.15390v2, Introduction, definitions and paragraphs immediately preceding the additive-power status discussion.Also cited at Introduction and decision-algorithm section.For Infinite additive-square avoidance over a finite integer alphabet: Separates the unresolved finite-integer question from the known construction over Z².Separates the unresolved finite-integer question from the known construction over Z².
  3. Allen R. Freedman and Thomas C. Brown, Sequences on Sets of Four Numbers, Integers 16 (2016), A33, Theorem 1 and the table on pages 2-3. Theorem 1 and the table on pages 2–3. ↗scholarly publication · reference source · PDF checked 2026-08-01 · checked 2026-08-01Source use: citation only.Determines exact finite maxima for a normalized family of four-letter integer alphabets.Also cited at Allen R. Freedman and Thomas C. Brown, Sequences on Sets of Four Numbers, Integers 16 (2016), A33, Theorem 1 and the table on pages 2-3.Also cited at Theorem 1 and pages 2-3.For Infinite additive-square avoidance over a finite integer alphabet: Freedman and Brown determine the longest good words for four-letter sets satisfying the endpoint-sum equation; the ten primitive normalized reflection classes with maximum letter at most 8 have maxima between 50 and 60.Determines finite maxima for a substantial normalized family of four-letter integer alphabets.
  4. Rao and Rosenfeld, arXiv:1511.05875v2, h6 Jordan decomposition in the Results section and the E_e(M_h) intersect ker(Phi) criterion in the Applications section; rank-nullity deduction checked 2026-07-28. Results section and the displayed h6 morphism. ↗preprint · reference source · arXiv:1511.05875v2 · checked 2026-07-28Source use: citation only.Constructs an additive-square-free morphic word over six weights in Z², a neighboring result with a different alphabet space.Also cited at Michael Rao and Matthieu Rosenfeld, Avoiding two consecutive blocks of same size and same sum over Z^2, arXiv:1511.05875v2, Results section, displayed h6 morphism and subsection Additive-square-free words on Z^2.Also cited at Applications and Results sections.Also cited at Rao and Rosenfeld, arXiv:1511.05875v2, h6 Jordan decomposition in the Results section and the E_e(M_h) intersect ker(Phi) criterion in the Applications section; rank-nullity deduction checked 2026-07-28.Also cited at Rao and Rosenfeld, arXiv:1511.05875v2, Applications section, proposition on finite parents and theorem deciding k-th-power-modulo-Phi freeness.For Infinite additive-square avoidance over a finite integer alphabet: The Rao-Rosenfeld sufficient decision criterion cannot apply to a scalar projection of h6: its expanding eigenspace has dimension 3, while the length-and-sum map has rank at most 2.Gives the closest positive construction in two dimensions and clarifies why it does not answer the finite-integer problem.
  5. Introduction, additive-power discussion, Theorem 29. ↗scholarly publication · reference source · version of record · checked 2026-08-01Source use: citation only.Studies additive powers with Walnut and gives a current source for the open finite-integer questions.Source used to assess the problem's recorded status.
  6. Approximations of additive squares in infinite words. Theorem 2.1. ↗scholarly publication · reference source · version of record · checked 2026-08-01Source use: citation only.Proves an approximation theorem for additive squares in infinite words without resolving exact avoidance.
  7. An application of van der Waerden's theorem in additive number theory. main theorem and question on final page. ↗website · reference source · PDF checked 2026-08-01 · checked 2026-07-28Source use: citation only.Provides an earlier finite-word result used to compare exact additive-square maxima.

Original CC0 record prose for the sourced additive-square avoidance problem.

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