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John Fairfax-Ball

Publications and source records attributed to John Fairfax-Ball.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Sharp $p$-adic Extrema and Least Extremal Rows for Restricted Binomial GCDs

For integers $m\ge 2$ and rows $N>m$ divisible by $m$, consider the restricted binomial greatest common divisor $G(N;m)=\gcd\{\binom Nk:0<k<N,\ m\mid k\}$. Fix a prime $p$ with $p\nmid m$, and let $r_p(m)$ be the least positive integer $r$ such that $m<p^r$. We prove that the largest possible value of $v_p(G(N;m))$, as $N$ ranges over all admissible rows, is exactly $r_p(m)$, and we give a constructive equality row. Attainment is established before the least extremal row $T_p(m)$ is defined. For the special family $m=p^a+1$ with $a\ge2$, we determine that least row exactly: $T_p(p^a+1)=p^{3a}+1$. The proof combines Kummer's carry theorem with an explicit leading-digit witness for the universal upper bound, a multiplicative-order construction for equality, and a separate strict-minimality argument below $p^{3a}+1$ with a fallback witness for the unique worst leading-digit pattern. The selected-GCD family itself is known in the literature; the relation to earlier results and the limits of the documented literature search are stated explicitly.

math.NT↗

A Fixed-Offset Transition for Random Stackability on Paths

We study a support-collapse version of graph pebbling on paths. A configuration is stackable if a sequence of legal pebbling moves can produce a nonzero configuration supported on a single vertex. On the path P_n, we choose a configuration uniformly from all weak compositions of total n times mu_n, where mu_n is a positive integer. We prove a two-sided fixed-offset transition for the logarithmic density. The transition is centred at sqrt(log_2 n) - (1/2) log_2 log_2 n + log_2(3e). For every fixed epsilon greater than zero, the stackability probability tends to zero when log_2 mu_n is eventually at most the centre minus epsilon, and tends to one when it is eventually at least the centre plus epsilon. No assertion is made at zero offset. The proof uses an exact recursive stackability score on trees, a one-dimensional path-message recurrence, binary-partition asymptotics for rare dyadic deficit excursions, a constant-cost regeneration argument, and an exact deep-message necessity theorem. Conditioning independent geometric occupancies on their sum returns the uniform fixed-total model. The finite deterministic necessity theorem and its exact fixed-total corollary are formalised in Lean and registered with Palomar; the full probabilistic asymptotic theorem is not part of that registration.

math.CO↗

Restricted Binomial GCDs at Primes Congruent to -1

For integers $m\geq 2$ and $m\mid N$, let $G(N;m)=\gcd\{\binom{N}{k}:0 m$ subcases, but not the mixed-parity branch or the $p=m-1$ regime. The theorem, its plus-one companion, a scaling reduction, and the $m=3,4,6$ specializations have been formalized in Lean 4 / Mathlib.

math.NT↗

The stacking number of a tree

The stacking number of a graph is the least integer t >= 2 such that every configuration of t pebbles can be transformed by pebbling moves into a configuration supported on one vertex. We prove that, for every finite tree T with at least two vertices, this number equals the rooted distance-and-degree estimator conjectured by Csernák and Soukup. The proof uses an exact recursive characterization of stackability at a prescribed vertex, an explicit zero-score obstruction, and a weighted cancellation argument for arbitrary nonstackable configurations. The complete theorem is formalized in Lean 4; the formal result has also passed Palomar mechanical verification and is publicly registered as PALOMAR-2026-09-25-000010.

math.CO↗