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[#P2624] Existence of a fourteen-point two-fold difference packing modulo 100

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Problem. Let \(G=\mathbb Z/100\mathbb Z\). For a subset \(A\subseteq G\) and a nonzero residue \(t\in G\), define \(r_A(t)=\bigl|\{(a,b)\in A\times A:a\ne b\text{ and }a-b=t\}\bigr|\). Does there exist a subset \(A\subseteq G\) with \(|A|=14\) such that \(r_A(t)\le 2\) for every nonzero \(t\in G\)?

1Context

This is a finite difference-packing problem in a cyclic group. If \(1_A\) is the indicator function of \(A\), then \(r_A(t)=\sum_{x\in G}1_A(x)1_A(x-t)\) is the off-peak periodic autocorrelation at shift \(t\).

2Problem setup

Definition 1 (cyclic group modulo 100). The group \(\mathbb Z/100\mathbb Z\) consists of the residue classes of integers modulo \(100\), with addition and subtraction performed modulo \(100\).

Definition 2 (ordered-difference multiplicity). The ordered-difference multiplicity \(r_A(t)\) counts ordered pairs of distinct elements of \(A\) whose difference is \(t\).

Definition 3 (cyclic B_2[2] set). On this page, a cyclic \(B_2[2]\) set means a subset \(A\) for which \(r_A(t)\le 2\) for every nonzero residue \(t\).

Remark 1. Since \(50=-50\) in \(G\), an unordered pair whose elements differ by \(50\) contributes both of its orderings to \(r_A(50)\).

3What counts as a solution

  • An existence solution gives fourteen distinct residue classes and verifies \(r_A(t)\le 2\) for all ninety-nine nonzero residues \(t\).
  • A nonexistence solution proves that no fourteen-element subset has the required multiplicities. A computational proof must include an independently checkable exhaustive certificate and state every symmetry reduction used.

1Status

Current status (The certified maximum lies between 13 and 14). The current certified interval is 13 <= M <= 14: an explicit 13-set passes all 99 difference checks, and ordered-pair counting rules out size 15. Whether a valid 14-set exists remains unresolved.[1]

1Packet records

4 records

Notes and companion materialContext, examples, and computations

Original intake status. UNKNOWN as of 2026-07-28. A checked size-13 construction and the counting bound give 13 ≤ M ≤ 14 for a two-fold difference packing in Z/100Z. The existence of a size-14 set was not settled in the checked classifications.

  • The 2026-07-28 exact-parameter search covered optical orthogonal codes, cyclic difference packings, and generalized Sidon-set terminology.
  • The strongest checked interval is 13 ≤ M ≤ 14, with both endpoints independently replayed in the packet.
  • No duplicate exact Z/100Z target was found in the controlled corpus.

Recorded example 1. A verified 13-set is {8,13,18,28,29,47,68,71,82,83,91,95,99}.

Computational notes

  • The ordered-difference count gives |A|(|A|-1)<=198 and hence |A|<=14. Fifty thousand seeded random greedy searches found the displayed 13-set and no 14-set; direct multiplicity checking certified its maximum bin count as two.
How the 4 records connectTyped relations and evidence flow
How the records connect to the problem

ProblemExistence of a fourteen-point two-fold difference packing modulo 100

2See also

How to cite

TheoremDB contributors, “Existence of a fourteen-point two-fold difference packing modulo 100,” TheoremDB research memory, snapshot of July 25, 2026. https://theoremdb.org/statements/b2-two-set-z100

This problem includes 4 records joined by 4 typed links, sourced from doi.org[1], current as of July 25, 2026.

1References

  1. Packet source. Fan R. K. Chung, Jawad A. Salehi, and Victor K. Wei, Optical orthogonal codes: design, analysis and applications, IEEE Transactions on Information Theory 35 (1989), 595-604; Christopher N. Swanson, Planar cyclic difference packings, Journal of Combinatorial Designs 8 (2000), 426-434; Tsonka Baicheva and Svetlana Topalova, Maximal (v,k,2,1) Optical Orthogonal Codes with k=6 and 7 and Small Lengths, Mathematics 11 (2023), article 2457. Definitions and the one-codeword periodic autocorrelation formulation. scholarly publication · reference source · version of record · checked 2026-08-01Source use: citation only.Gives the optical orthogonal code formulation equivalent to the ordered-difference condition for the Z/100Z problem.Also cited at Fan R. K. Chung, Jawad A. Salehi, and Victor K. Wei, Optical orthogonal codes: design, analysis and applications, IEEE Transactions on Information Theory 35 (1989), 595-604; Christopher N. Swanson, Planar cyclic difference packings, Journal of Combinatorial Designs 8 (2000), 426-434; Tsonka Baicheva and Svetlana Topalova, Maximal (v,k,2,1) Optical Orthogonal Codes with k=6 and 7 and Small Lengths, Mathematics 11 (2023), article 2457.Also cited at Direct ordered-difference count and exhaustive verification in b2z100-artifact-verifier-and-ilp.Also cited at Seeded local computations performed and capped on 2026-07-25; near-miss multiplicities rechecked by b2z100-artifact-verifier-and-ilp.For Existence of a fourteen-point two-fold difference packing modulo 100: The standard OOC formulation matches the ordered-difference condition, while the located finite classifications do not cover weight 14.Source named by the research packet.
  2. Christopher N. Swanson, “Planar cyclic difference packings”. Journal of Combinatorial Designs 8(6) (2000), 426-434. DOI 10.1002/1520-6610(2000)8:6<426::AID-JCD5>3.0.CO;2-4. Cyclic difference-packing terminology and bounds. scholarly publication · reference source · version of record · checked 2026-08-01Source use: citation only.Places the target beside planar cyclic difference packings and supplies neighboring exact computations.Also cited at Cyclic difference-packing terminology and exact computations through modulus 144.For Existence of a fourteen-point two-fold difference packing modulo 100: Places the problem in the cyclic difference-packing literature.Places the problem beside the adjacent multiplicity-one cyclic difference-packing case.
  3. Tsonka Baicheva and Svetlana Topalova, “Maximal (v, k, 2, 1) Optical Orthogonal Codes with k = 6 and 7 and Small Lengths”. Mathematics 11(11) (2023), 2457. DOI 10.3390/math11112457. Definitions 1–2 and Section 2.4. scholarly publication · reference source · version of record · checked 2026-08-01Source use: citation only.Provides nearby optical-code classifications and the exact multiplicity-two parameter convention.Also cited at Definitions 1 and 2 and Section 2.4.For Existence of a fourteen-point two-fold difference packing modulo 100: Supplies nearby finite classifications and the exact optical-code parameter conventions.Supplies nearby finite classifications and the exact autocorrelation-two conventions.

CC0 finite difference-packing target.

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