OFFSET
0,3
COMMENTS
The word "minimally" in the description means that the integer in whose binary representation some unordered partition of n is encoded should be as small as possible. This sequence gives such a minimal integer for each n, which encodes an unordered partition whose sum is n. The details of the encoding system are explained in A227183.
Project: Find an algorithm which computes a(n) with a more sophisticated method than just by a blind search. This is a kind of an optimization problem for representing n as a special "bit-packed" sum: the smallest summand of size x costs x bits, and its any subsequent usage in the sum costs just one bit each time. Using any additional summand y > x costs (y-x)+1 bits when used first time, and then again additional usages cost only one bit each. Goal: minimize the number of bits needed. If multiple candidates with the same number of bits are found, then the one which results the smallest integer (when interpreted as a binary number) wins.
For any composite n = t*u, the upper bound for the size of a(n) is t+u-1 bits.
LINKS
EXAMPLE
n a(n) binary corresponding partition sum = n
(cf. A227183 for details)
0 0 0 (0) 0
1 1 1 (1) 1
2 2 10 (1 + 1) 2
3 5 101 (1 + 1 + 1) 3
4 4 100 (2 + 2) 4
5 9 1001 (1 + 2 + 2) 5
6 8 1000 (3 + 3) 6
7 17 10001 (1 + 3 + 3) 7
8 16 10000 (4 + 4) 8
9 23 10111 (3 + 3 + 3) 9
10 32 100000 (5 + 5) 10
11 39 100111 (3 + 4 + 4) 11
12 40 101000 (3 + 3 + 3 + 3) 12
13 71 1000111 (3 + 5 + 5) 13
14 72 1001000 (3 + 3 + 4 + 4) 14
15 87 1010111 (3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3) 15
16 80 1010000 (4 + 4 + 4 + 4) 16
17 151 10010111 (3 + 3 + 3 + 4 + 4) 17
18 144 10010000 (4 + 4 + 5 + 5) 18
19 167 10100111 (3 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4) 19
20 160 10100000 (5 + 5 + 5 + 5) 20
Note that for 20, there is for example also a code 175, "10101111" in binary, which results a partition (4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4) (= 20), but as 160 < 175, and there are no other partitions of 20 which would result even smaller code number, 160 is the winner (the minimal code), and thus a(20)=160.
A227761 gives the maximum difference between successive parts that occurs in these partitions.
PROG
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
Antti Karttunen, Jul 08 2013
STATUS
approved