1 Many approaches have been developed to solve the problem of building
2 a Gray code in a $\mathsf{N}$-cube~\cite{Robinson:1981:CS,DBLP:journals/combinatorics/BhatS96,ZanSup04,Bykov2016}, according to properties
3 the produced code has to verify.
4 For instance,~\cite{DBLP:journals/combinatorics/BhatS96,ZanSup04} focus on
5 balanced Gray codes. In the transition sequence of these codes,
6 the number of transitions of each element must differ
8 This uniformity is a global property on the cycle, \textit{i.e.},
9 a property that is established while traversing the whole cycle.
10 On the opposite side, when the objective is to follow a subpart
11 of the Gray code and to switch each element approximately the
13 local properties are wished.
14 For instance, the locally balanced property is studied in~\cite{Bykov2016}
15 and an algorithm that establishes locally balanced Gray codes is given.
17 The current context is to provide a function
18 $f:\Bool^{\mathsf{N}} \rightarrow \Bool^{\mathsf{N}}$ by removing an Hamiltonian
19 cycle in the $\mathsf{N}$-cube. Such a function is going to be iterated
20 $b$ times to produce a pseudorandom number,
21 \textit{i.e.}, a vertex in the
23 Obviously, the number of iterations $b$ has to be sufficiently large
24 to provide an uniform output distribution.
25 To reduce the number of iterations, it can be claimed
26 that the provided Gray code
27 should ideally possess both balanced and locally balanced properties.
28 However, none of the two algorithms is compatible with the second one:
29 balanced Gray codes that are generated by state of the art works~\cite{ZanSup04,DBLP:journals/combinatorics/BhatS96} are not locally balanced. Conversely,
30 locally balanced Gray codes yielded by Igor Bykov approach~\cite{Bykov2016}
31 are not globally balanced.
32 This section thus shows how the non deterministic approach
33 presented in~\cite{ZanSup04} has been automatized to provide balanced
34 Hamiltonian paths such that, for each subpart,
35 the number of switches of each element is as uniform as possible.
37 \subsection{Analysis of the Robinson-Cohn extension algorithm}
38 As far as we know three works,
39 namely~\cite{Robinson:1981:CS},~\cite{DBLP:journals/combinatorics/BhatS96},
40 and~\cite{ZanSup04} have addressed the problem of providing an approach
41 to produce balanced gray code.
42 The authors of~\cite{Robinson:1981:CS} introduced an inductive approach
43 aiming at producing balanced Gray codes, provided the user gives
44 a special subsequence of the transition sequence at each induction step.
45 This work have been strengthened in~\cite{DBLP:journals/combinatorics/BhatS96}
46 where the authors have explicitly shown how to construct such a subsequence.
47 Finally the authors of~\cite{ZanSup04} have presented
48 the \emph{Robinson-Cohn extension}
49 algorithm. Their rigorous presentation of this one
50 has mainly allowed them to prove two properties.
51 The former states that if
52 $\mathsf{N}$ is a 2-power, a balanced Gray code is always totally balanced.
53 The latter states that for every $\mathsf{N}$ there
54 exists a Gray code such that all transition count numbers
55 are 2-powers whose exponents are either equal
56 or differ from each other by 1.
57 However, the authors do not prove that the approach allows to build
58 (totally balanced) Gray code.
59 What follows shows that this fact is established and first recalls the approach.
62 Let be given a $\mathsf{N}-2$-bit Gray code whose transition sequence is
63 $S_{\mathsf{N}-2}$. What follows is the
64 \emph{Robinson-Cohn extension} method~\cite{ZanSup04}
65 which produces a $\mathsf{N}$-bits Gray code.
68 \item \label{item:nondet}Let $l$ be an even positive integer. Find
69 $u_1, u_2, \dots , u_{l-2}, v$ (maybe empty) subsequences of $S_{\mathsf{N}-2}$
70 such that $S_{\mathsf{N}-2}$ is the concatenation of
72 s_{i_1}, u_0, s_{i_2}, u_1, s_{i_3}, u_2, \dots , s_{i_l-1}, u_{l-2}, s_{i_l}, v
74 where $i_1 = 1$, $i_2 = 2$, and $u_0 = \emptyset$ (the empty sequence).
75 \item\label{item:u'}Replace in $S_{\mathsf{N}-2}$ the sequences $u_0, u_1, u_2, \ldots, u_{l-2}$
77 $\mathsf{N} - 1, u'(u_1,\mathsf{N} - 1, \mathsf{N}) , u'(u_2,\mathsf{N}, \mathsf{N} - 1), u'(u_3,\mathsf{N} - 1,\mathsf{N}), \dots, u'(u_{l-2},\mathsf{N}, \mathsf{N} - 1)$
78 respectively, where $u'(u,x,y)$ is the sequence $u,x,u^R,y,u$ such that
79 $u^R$ is $u$ in reversed order.
80 The obtained sequence is further denoted as $U$.
81 \item\label{item:VW} Construct the sequences $V=v^R,\mathsf{N},v$, $W=\mathsf{N}-1,S_{\mathsf{N}-2},\mathsf{N}$, and let $W'$ be $W$ where the first
82 two elements have been exchanged.
83 \item The transition sequence $S_{\mathsf{N}}$ is thus the concatenation $U^R, V, W'$.
86 It has been proven in~\cite{ZanSup04} that
87 $S_{\mathsf{N}}$ is the transition sequence of a cyclic $\mathsf{N}$-bits Gray code
88 if $S_{\mathsf{N}-2}$ is.
89 However, the step~(\ref{item:nondet}) is not a constructive
90 step that precises how to select the subsequences which ensures that
91 yielded Gray code is balanced.
92 Next section shows how to choose the sequence $l$ to have the balance property.
94 \subsection{Balanced Codes}
95 Let us first recall how to formalize the balance property of a Gray code.
96 Let $L = w_1, w_2, \dots, w_{2^\mathsf{N}}$ be the sequence
97 of a $\mathsf{N}$-bits cyclic Gray code.
98 The transition sequence
99 $S = s_1, s_2, \dots, s_{2^n}$, $s_i$, $1 \le i \le 2^\mathsf{N}$,
100 indicates which bit position changes between
101 codewords at index $i$ and $i+1$ modulo $2^\mathsf{N}$.
102 The \emph{transition count} function
103 $\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}} : \{1,\dots, \mathsf{N}\} \rightarrow \{0, \ldots, 2^{\mathsf{N}}\}$
104 gives the number of times $i$ occurs in $S$,
105 \textit{i.e.}, the number of times
106 the bit $i$ has been switched in $L$.
108 The Gray code is \emph{totally balanced} if $\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}$
109 is constant (and equal to $\frac{2^{\mathsf{N}}}{\mathsf{N}}$).
110 It is \emph{balanced} if for any two bit indices $i$ and $j$,
111 $|\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}(i) - \textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}(j)| \le 2$.
116 Let $L^*=000,100,101,001,011,111,$ $110,010$ be the Gray code that corresponds to
117 the Hamiltonian cycle that has been removed in $f^*$.
118 Its transition sequence is $S=3,1,3,2,3,1,3,2$ and its transition count function is
119 $\textit{TC}_3(1)= \textit{TC}_3(2)=2$ and $\textit{TC}_3(3)=4$. Such a Gray code is balanced.
122 $L^4=0000, 0010, 0110, 1110, 1111, 0111, 0011,$ $0001, 0101,0100,$ $1100, 1101, 1001, 1011, 1010, 1000$
123 be a cyclic Gray code. Since $S=2,3,4,1,4,$ $3,2,3,1,4,1,3,2,1,2,4$, $\textit{TC}_4$ is equal to 4 everywhere, this code
124 is thus totally balanced.
126 On the contrary, for the standard $4$-bits Gray code
127 $L^{\textit{st}}=0000,0001,0011,$
128 $0010,0110,0111,0101,0100,1100,1101,1111,1110,1010,1011,1001,1000$,
129 we have $\textit{TC}_4(1)=8$ $\textit{TC}_4(2)=4$ $\textit{TC}_4(3)=\textit{TC}_4(4)=2$ and
130 the code is neither balanced nor totally balanced.
134 \begin{thrm}\label{prop:balanced}
135 Let $\mathsf{N}$ in $\Nats^*$, and $a_{\mathsf{N}}$ be defined by
136 $a_{\mathsf{N}}= 2 \left\lfloor \dfrac{2^{\mathsf{N}}}{2\mathsf{N}} \right\rfloor$.
137 There exists then a sequence $l$ in
138 step~(\ref{item:nondet}) of the \emph{Robinson-Cohn extension} algorithm
139 such that all the transition counts $\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}(i)$
140 are $a_{\mathsf{N}}$ or $a_{\mathsf{N}}+2$
141 for any $i$, $1 \le i \le \mathsf{N}$.
148 The proof is done by induction on $\mathsf{N}$. Let us immediately verify
149 that it is established for both odd and even smallest values, \textit{i.e.},
151 For the initial case where $\mathsf{N}=3$, \textit{i.e.}, $\mathsf{N-2}=1$ we successively have: $S_1=1,1$, $l=2$, $u_0 = \emptyset$, and $v=\emptyset$.
152 Thus again the algorithm successively produces
153 $U= 1,2,1$, $V = 3$, $W= 2, 1, 1,3$, and $W' = 1,2,1,3$.
154 Finally, $S_3$ is $1,2,1,3,1,2,1,3$ which obviously verifies the theorem.
155 For the initial case where $\mathsf{N}=4$, \textit{i.e.}, $\mathsf{N-2}=2$
156 we successively have: $S_1=1,2,1,2$, $l=4$,
157 $u_0,u_1,u_2 = \emptyset,\emptyset,\emptyset$, and $v=\emptyset$.
158 Thus again the algorithm successively produces
159 $U= 1,3,2,3,4,1,4,3,2$, $V = 4$, $W= 3, 1, 2, 1,2, 4$, and $W' = 1, 3, 2, 1,2, 4 $.
162 2,3,4,1,4,3,2,3,1,4,1,3,2,1,2,4
164 such that $\textit{TC}_4(i) = 4$ and the theorem is established for
165 odd and even initial values.
168 For the inductive case, let us first define some variables.
169 Let $c_{\mathsf{N}}$ (resp. $d_{\mathsf{N}}$) be the number of elements
170 whose transition count is exactly $a_{\mathsf{N}}$ (resp $a_{\mathsf{N}} +2$).
171 These two variables are defined by the system
176 c_{\mathsf{N}} + d_{\mathsf{N}} & = & \mathsf{N} \\
177 c_{\mathsf{N}}a_{\mathsf{N}} + d_{\mathsf{N}}(a_{\mathsf{N}}+2) & = & 2^{\mathsf{N}}
183 d_{\mathsf{N}} & = & \dfrac{2^{\mathsf{N}} -\mathsf{N}.a_{\mathsf{N}}}{2} \\
184 c_{\mathsf{N}} &= &\mathsf{N} - d_{\mathsf{N}}
189 Since $a_{\mathsf{N}}$ is even, $d_{\mathsf{N}}$ is an integer.
190 Let us first prove that both $c_{\mathsf{N}}$ and $d_{\mathsf{N}}$ are positive
192 Let $q_{\mathsf{N}}$ and $r_{\mathsf{N}}$, respectively, be
193 the quotient and the remainder in the Euclidean division
194 of $2^{\mathsf{N}}$ by $2\mathsf{N}$, \textit{i.e.},
195 $2^{\mathsf{N}} = q_{\mathsf{N}}.2\mathsf{N} + r_{\mathsf{N}}$, with $0 \le r_{\mathsf{N}} <2\mathsf{N}$.
196 First of all, the integer $r$ is even since $r_{\mathsf{N}} = 2^{\mathsf{N}} - q_{\mathsf{N}}.2\mathsf{N}= 2(2^{\mathsf{N}-1} - q_{\mathsf{N}}.\mathsf{N})$.
197 Next, $a_{\mathsf{N}}$ is $\frac{2^{\mathsf{N}}-r_{\mathsf{N}}}{\mathsf{N}}$. Consequently
198 $d_{\mathsf{N}}$ is $r_{\mathsf{N}}/2$ and is thus a positive integer s.t.
199 $0 \le d_{\mathsf{N}} <\mathsf{N}$.
200 The proof for $c_{\mathsf{N}}$ is obvious.
203 For any $i$, $1 \le i \le \mathsf{N}$, let $zi_{\mathsf{N}}$ (resp. $ti_{\mathsf{N}}$ and $bi_{\mathsf{N}}$)
204 be the occurrence number of element $i$ in the sequence $u_0, \dots, u_{l-2}$
205 (resp. in the sequences $s_{i_1}, \dots , s_{i_l}$ and $v$)
206 in step (\ref{item:nondet}) of the algorithm.
208 Due to the definition of $u'$ in step~(\ref{item:u'}),
209 $3.zi_{\mathsf{N}} + ti_{\mathsf{N}}$ is the
210 number of element $i$ in the sequence $U$.
211 It is clear that the number of element $i$ in the sequence $V$ is
212 $2bi_{\mathsf{N}}$ due to step (\ref{item:VW}).
213 We thus have the following system:
217 3.zi_{\mathsf{N}} + ti_{\mathsf{N}} + 2.bi_{\mathsf{N}} + \textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}-2}(i) &= &\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}(i) \\
218 zi_{\mathsf{N}} + ti_{\mathsf{N}} + bi_{\mathsf{N}} & =& \textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}-2}(i)
229 \dfrac{\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}(i) - 2.\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}-2}(i) - bi_{\mathsf{N}}}{2}\\
230 ti_{\mathsf{N}} &= & \textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}-2}(i)-zi_{\mathsf{N}}-bi_{\mathsf{N}}
236 In this set of 2 equations with 3 unknown variables, let $b_i$ be set with 0.
237 In this case, since $\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}$ is even (equal to $a_{\mathsf{N}}$
238 or to $a_{\mathsf{N}}+2$), the variable $zi_{\mathsf{N}}$ is thus an integer.
239 Let us now prove that the resulting system has always positive integer
240 solutions $z_i$, $t_i$, $0 \le z_i, t_i \le \textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}-2}(i)$
241 and s.t. their sum is equal to $\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}-2}(i)$.
242 This latter constraint is obviously established if the system has a solution.
243 We thus have the following system.
251 \dfrac{\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}(i) - 2.\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}-2}(i) }{2}\\
252 ti_{\mathsf{N}} &= & \textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}-2}(i)-zi_{\mathsf{N}}
258 The definition of $\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}(i)$ depends on the value of $\mathsf{N}$.
259 When $3 \le N \le 7$, values are defined as follows:
261 \textit{TC}_{3} & = & [2,2,4] \\
262 \textit{TC}_{5} & = & [6,6,8,6,6] \\
263 \textit{TC}_{7} & = & [18,18,20,18,18,18,18] \\
265 \textit{TC}_{4} & = & [4,4,4,4] \\
266 \textit{TC}_{6} & = & [10,10,10,10,12,12] \\
268 It is not hard to verify that all these instanciations verify the aformentioned contraints.
270 When $N \ge 8$, $\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}(i)$ is defined as follows:
272 \textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}(i) = \left\{
274 a_{\mathsf{N}} \textrm{ if } 1 \le i \le c_{\mathsf{N}} \\
275 a_{\mathsf{N}}+2 \textrm{ if } c_{\mathsf{N}} +1 \le i \le c_{\mathsf{N}} + d_{\mathsf{N}}
285 \textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}(i) - 2.\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}-2}(i)
287 a_{\mathsf{N}} - 2(a_{\mathsf{N}-2}+2) \\
289 \frac{2^{\mathsf{N}}-r_{\mathsf{N}}}{\mathsf{N}}
290 -2 \left( \frac{2^{\mathsf{N-2}}-r_{\mathsf{N-2}}}{\mathsf{N-2}}+2\right)\\
292 \frac{2^{\mathsf{N}}-2N}{\mathsf{N}}
293 -2 \left( \frac{2^{\mathsf{N-2}}}{\mathsf{N-2}}+2\right)\\
295 \frac{(\mathsf{N} -2).2^{\mathsf{N}}-2N.2^{\mathsf{N-2}}-6N(N-2)}{\mathsf{N.(N-2)}}\\
299 A simple variation study of the function $t:\R \rightarrow \R$ such that
300 $x \mapsto t(x) = (x -2).2^{x}-2x.2^{x-2}-6x(x-2)$ shows that
301 its derivative is strictly positive if $x \ge 6$ and $t(8)=224$.
302 The integer $\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}(i) - 2.\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}-2}(i)$ is thus positive
303 for any $\mathsf{N} \ge 8$ and the proof is established.
308 % \begin{array}{|l|l|l|l|l|l|}
310 % \mathsf{N} & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 & 7\\
312 % a_{\mathsf{N}} & 2 & 4 & 6 & 10 & 18\\
317 % \caption{First values of $a_{\mathsf{N}}$}
320 For each element $i$, we are then left to choose $zi_{\mathsf{N}}$ positions
321 among $\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}(i)$, which leads to
322 ${\textit{TC}_{\mathsf{N}}(i) \choose zi_{\mathsf{N}} }$ possibilities.
323 Notice that all such choices lead to an Hamiltonian path.
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