Cash Problems
- Let L be the set of nonrepetitive
words over the alphabet
{1, 2, 3}. Give an exact enumeration of L With respect
to length. For the solution to this
problem I offer US$100. Both Brandenburg
and Brinkhuis have shown that the number
of non-repetitive words of length n over a 3 letter alphabet grows
exponentially with n. A related result is that of Cassaigne
who has given a satisfying enumeration of overlap-free
words over a 2 letter alphabet.
- Is there an algorithm which decides, given a pattern p and a
natural number n, whether p is avoidable
on n letters? If so, give such an algorithm. I offer US$100
for the solution to this problem. This problem has been open since 1979
when it was posed in the paper of Bean, Ehrenfeucht and McNulty.
- Is there an algorithm which decides, given a pattern p, whether
p is strongly avoidable? If so,
give such an algorithm. Again, US$100 to the solver of this problem.
- Is there an algorithm which decides, given a pattern p and a
natural number n, whether p is strongly
avoidable on n letters? If so, give such an algorithm. I offer
US$100 for the solution to this problem.
- For US$100, decide the following conjecture: If pattern p is
avoidable on alphabet S, then
the set of omega-words on S avoiding
p is perfect This is a favourite
conjecture of mine.
- For US$100, decide the following conjecture: If the smallest alphabet
on which p is avoidable is
of size n, then p is HDOL-avoidable on n letters.