[#P3006] Erdős's Additive Representation Density Problem
Contents
Problem. Erdős Problem 66: Let $\mathbb{N}$ denote the set of positive integers. For a subset $A \subseteq \mathbb{N}$ and a positive integer $n$, define the additive representation function $r_A(n)$ to be the number of ordered pairs $(a, b) \in A \times A$ such that $a + b = n$. Does there exist a subset $A \subseteq \mathbb{N}$ and a nonzero real number $c$ such that the limit \[\lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{r_A(n)}{\log n} = c\] exists?
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Definitions and notation
1Context
This problem concerns the asymptotic behavior of additive representation functions in additive combinatorics. Erdős posed the question of whether a set of positive integers can have its representation function grow like a nonzero constant multiple of the logarithm.
2Problem setup
Remark 1. For a subset $A \subseteq \mathbb{N}$ and $n \in \mathbb{N}$, the additive representation function $r_A(n)$ counts the number of ordered pairs $(a, b) \in A \times A$ with $a + b = n$.
Definition 1 (The notation $\lim_{n \to \infty} f(n) = c$). The notation $\lim_{n \to \infty} f(n) = c$ means that for every $\epsilon > 0$, there exists $N \in \mathbb{N}$ such that $|f(n) - c| < \epsilon$ for all $n \geq N$.
3What counts as a solution
- Give a rigorous proof or counterexample that completely resolves this statement: Erdős Problem 66: Let $\mathbb{N}$ denote the set of positive integers. For a subset $A \subseteq \mathbb{N}$ and a positive integer $n$, define the additive representation function $r_A(n)$ to be the number of ordered pairs $(a, b) \in A \times A$ such that $a + b = n$. Does there exist a subset $A \subseteq \mathbb{N}$ and a nonzero real number $c$ such that the limit \[\lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{r_A(n)}{\log n} = c\] exists?
1Status
Saved packet · July 31, 2026
Saved packet status (Current status and unresolved remainder). OPEN as of 2026-07-31. The maintained Erdős Problems database at commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8 lists Problem 66 as open. The unresolved remainder is the full displayed statement. Give a rigorous proof or counterexample that completely resolves this statement: Erdős Problem 66: Let $\mathbb{N}$ denote the set of positive integers. For a subset $A \subseteq \mathbb{N}$ and a positive integer $n$, define the additive representation function $r_A(n)$ to be the number of ordered pairs $(a, b) \in A \times A$ such that $a + b = n$. Does there exist a subset $A \subseteq \mathbb{N}$ and a nonzero real number $c$ such that the limit \[\lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{r_A(n)}{\log n} = c\] exists?[1]
1Packet records
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Notes and companion material
Original intake status. OPEN as of 2026-07-31. The maintained Erdős Problems database at commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8 lists Problem 66 as open. The unresolved remainder is the full displayed statement.
- The maintained database entry for Erdős Problem 66 was open at commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8.
- The pinned Formal Conjectures declaration was matched by problem number and source locator.
- The controlled TheoremDB source corpus was checked for an already published record with the same slug.
How the 2 records connect
ProblemErdős's Additive Representation Density Problem
All 1 recorded relations between these records and the problem
2See also
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Cite this problem statement
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“Erdős's Additive Representation Density Problem.” TheoremDB. P3006. Problem statement; statement text SHA-256 adb8dd5d5175d166ecd9b6cbe510e9c22a8bb02bef0f6478877a566f385795dc. https://theoremdb.org/statement/?ref=P3006
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title = {{Erdős's Additive Representation Density Problem}},
howpublished = {TheoremDB},
note = {Problem statement; statement text SHA-256 adb8dd5d5175d166ecd9b6cbe510e9c22a8bb02bef0f6478877a566f385795dc},
url = {https://theoremdb.org/statement/?ref=P3006}
}Plain text: Built Markdown snapshot
This problem includes 2 records joined by 1 typed links, sourced from erdosproblems.com[1], current as of July 31, 2026.
1References
- Packet source. Erdős Problems database, Problem 66, maintained status record. Erdős Problems record 66, checked 2026-08-01. Problem 66; status field and linked bibliography. ↗reference database · reference source · commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8 · checked 2026-07-31Source use: original summary.Records the current open status and links the literature attached to this exact numbered problem.Also cited at Problem 66; status snapshot 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8.Also cited at See dataset.references[0] for the exact external source and locator.Also cited at Editorial research route recorded 2026-07-31.Source used to formulate or check the problem record.Source used to assess the problem's recorded status.For Erdős's Additive Representation Density Problem: Records the current open status and links the literature attached to this exact numbered problem.Source named by the research packet.
- Erdős problem database, data/problems.yaml, commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8. Problem 66 entry in data/problems.yaml. ↗reference database · reference source · commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8 · checked 2026-07-31Source use: original summary.Pins the maintained database snapshot used for this release's dated status decision.Source used to assess the problem's recorded status.For Erdős's Additive Representation Density Problem: Pins the maintained database snapshot used for this release's dated status decision.
- Google DeepMind, Formal Conjectures, formal statement for Erdős Problem 66. GitHub commit bb1c69dab14ad895ac1ccdb7b0c0e0a67c8eb3e1. FormalConjectures/ErdosProblems/66.lean:L37; theorem erdos_66; commit bb1c69dab14ad895ac1ccdb7b0c0e0a67c8eb3e1. ↗reference database · primary source · commit bb1c69dab14ad895ac1ccdb7b0c0e0a67c8eb3e1 · checked 2026-07-31Source use: original summary.Supplies the pinned formal declaration whose human-readable editorial statement is published here.Source used to assess the problem's recorded status.For Erdős's Additive Representation Density Problem: Supplies the pinned formal declaration whose human-readable editorial statement is published here.
Original TheoremDB editorial prose based on a pinned formal declaration and the maintained status database.
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