Term Coding and Dispersion: Exact and Asymptotic Decision Problems

Søren Riis

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arXiv · 2602.08110

Term Coding and Dispersion: Exact and Asymptotic Decision Problems

Søren Riis

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Abstract

Let t be a tuple of r terms that, under an interpretation on an n-element alphabet A, defines a map from k-tuples over A to r-tuples over A. We study the decision theory of its maximum image size, separating exact perfect dispersion from asymptotic rate. Building on the term-cut theorem of Riis and Gadouleau, we prove that every eventual threshold strictly between consecutive integer powers is decidable in polynomial time. More precisely, if a threshold is eventually greater than n to the power d and grows strictly more slowly than n to the power d plus one, then the maximum image size eventually meets that threshold exactly when the term-cut exponent is at least d plus one. For the exact problem, we introduce the perfect-alphabet spectrum and prove that it is multiplicatively closed, that a nonempty spectrum forces full rate, and that the converse fails. We completely characterize the one-output case. On square instances, perfect dispersion is precisely finite square term bijectivity. We give explicit linear-size padding reductions from three-dimensional square bijectivity to perfect dispersion for every fixed output dimension of at least three. We also characterize scalar-linear witnesses by a determinant polynomial, obtaining decidability over fixed finite fields, over extensions of a fixed characteristic, and over arbitrary finite fields. General square bijectivity remains open. The principal mathematical results have been machine-checked in Lean.

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Søren Riis. 2026-02-08. Term Coding and Dispersion: Exact and Asymptotic Decision Problems. https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.08110

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