Yanping Luo | Search arXiv

arXiv2026

The exponent of harmonic LCM avoidance

Fix $k\ge 3$, and let $f_k(N)$ be the largest harmonic sum of a subset of $[N]$ containing no $k$ distinct integers with a common pairwise least common multiple. We prove that $f_k(N)=(\log N)^{\gamma_k+o(1)}$ for a well-defined exponent $\gamma_k\in(0,1]$. Following the weighted-pressure idea of Chojecki, we give a self-contained proof of variational formulas for $\gamma_k$ in terms of weighted sunflower-free families. We then eliminate the continuous weight: if $M_k(n,r)$ is the largest size of an $r$-uniform $k$-cosunflower-free family on $[n]$, then \[ \gamma_k=\sup_{n\ge1,\ 1\le r\le n}\frac{r}{en}M_k(n,r)^{1/r}. \] This finite-block formula yields a direct transfer principle from uniform set-system constructions, recovers the Tang--Zhang bounds, and gives $0.438899\ldots<\gamma_3\le0.889881\ldots$.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Exterior power sums

We prove that for every fixed $\lambda>0$ and all sufficiently large $n$, any $z_1,\dots,z_n\in\C$ with $|z_j|\geq1$ satisfy $\max_{2\leq k\leq n+1}|\sum_j z_j^k|>e^{-\lambda n}$. Consequently, the $n$th root of the optimal maximum tends to $1$, so no constant $C>1$ in Erd\H{o}s 973 can exist. The proof combines a truncated exponential factorization with overconvergence on an open set outside the unit disk and a normal-family obstruction for Cauchy transforms.

math.CO↗