Alternating count of common-center graphs 2026-10-07
For , count the empty graph once, all one-edge graphs once, and each larger accepted graph under its unique center. The latter weighted contribution is , giving . Its nonzero value proves evasiveness by the alternating-sum criterion for decision-tree evasiveness.
Evasive Boolean function 2026-10-07
A Boolean function is evasive when every deterministic decision tree computing it has a worst-case path that queries all input bits. The alternating-sum criterion for decision-tree evasiveness is one sufficient method for proving this lower bound.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 59 4 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
A decision tree queries individual input bits, chooses subsequent queries from previous answers and labels each leaf with an output. Its decision-tree depth is the largest number of queries on any root-to-leaf path; is the least such depth over trees computing . An evasive Boolean function on bits has .
Remove repeated queries along any path, since their answers are already known. A leaf at depth fixes bits and leaves at least one bit free. The inputs reaching it form a subcube on which is constant, say . Its contribution to the alternating sum isHere is the Hamming weight. The leaf subcubes partition the input cube, so adding their contributions provesThe contrapositive is the alternating-sum criterion for decision-tree evasiveness: a nonzero alternating sum forces all bits to be necessary in the worst case.