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arxiv: 0712.1611 · v3 · submitted 2007-12-10 · 🧮 math.CO · math.NT

The structure of critical sets for F_p arithmetic progressions

classification 🧮 math.CO math.NT
keywords functionsminimalarithmeticcertaindensityindicatorprogressionsthey
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Fix a prime p and a density 0 < d <= 1. Among all functions f : F_p -> [0,1], what can one say about those which assign minimal weight to three-term arithmetic progressions -- that is, the sum of f(a)f(a+x)f(a+2x) is minimal as we sum over all a and x -- subject to the density constraint that the expected value of f equals d? In the present paper we show three things about them: 1) Such f are nearly indicator functions; 2) They enjoy a certain ``local minimal'' property; and, 3) They are approximately indicator functions for certain sumsets A+B.

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