Large context problems (LCP) are useful in teaching the history of science. In this article we consider the brachistochrone problem in a context stretching from Euclid through the Bernoullis. We highlight a variety of ...

We show that binary circular words of length n avoiding 7/3+ powers exist for every sufficiently large n. This is not the case for binary circular words avoiding k+ powers with k < 7/3

Given an infinite word x over an alphabet A, a letter b occurring in x, and a total order \sigma on A, we call the smallest word with respect to \sigma starting with b in the shift orbit closure of x an extremal word of ...

For every pattern p over the alphabet {x,x^R,y,y^R}, we specify the least k such that p is k-avoidable.

We classify all 3 letter patterns that are avoidable in the abelian sense. A short list of four letter patterns for which abelian avoidance is undecided is given. Using a generalization of Zimin words we deduce some ...

Strings (aka sequences or words) form the most basic and natural data structure. They occur whenever information is electronically transmitted (as bit streams), when natural language text is spoken or written down (as words ...

Thue characterized completely the avoidability of unary patterns. Adding function variables gives a general setting capturing avoidance of powers, avoidance of patterns with palindromes, avoidance of powers under coding, ...