MathDB
Set of Binary Strings

Source: Simon Marais MC 2019 B4

October 14, 2019
college contests

Problem Statement

A binary string is a sequence, each of whose terms is 00 or 11. A set B\mathcal{B} of binary strings is defined inductively according to the following rules.
[*]The binary string 11 is in B\mathcal{B}.[/*] [*]If s1,s2,,sns_1,s_2,\dotsc ,s_n is in B\mathcal{B} with nn odd, then both s1,s2,,sn,0s_1,s_2,\dotsc ,s_n,0 and 0,s1,s2,,sn0,s_1,s_2,\dotsc ,s_n are in B\mathcal{B}.[/*] [*]If s1,s2,,sns_1,s_2,\dotsc ,s_n is in B\mathcal{B} with nn even, then both s1,s2,,sn,1s_1,s_2,\dotsc ,s_n,1 and 1,s1,s2,,sn1,s_1,s_2,\dotsc ,s_n are in B\mathcal{B}.[/*] [*]No other binary strings are in B\mathcal{B}.[/*]
For each positive integer nn, let bnb_n be the number of binary strings in B\mathcal{B} of length nn.
[*]Prove that there exist constants c1,c2>0c_1,c_2>0 and 1.6<λ1,λ2<1.91.6<\lambda_1,\lambda_2<1.9 such that c1λ1n<bn<c2λ2nc_1\lambda_1^n<b_n<c_2\lambda_2^n for all positive integer nn.[/*] [*]Determine lim infnbnn\liminf_{n\to \infty} {\sqrt[n]{b_n}} and lim supnbnn\limsup_{n\to \infty} {\sqrt[n]{b_n}}[/*]
Note: The problem is open in the sense that no solution is currently known to part (b).