On sums of subsets of a set of integers

Forr2 letp(n, r) denote the maximum cardinality of a subsetA ofN={1, 2,...,n} such that there are noBA and an integery with b=y ^r. It is shown that for any>0 andn>n(), (1+o(1))2^1/(r+1) n ^{(r–1)/(r+1)}p(n, r)n ^+2/3 for allr5, and that for every fixedr6,p(n, r)=(1+o(1))·2^1/(r+1) n ^{(r–1)/(r+1)} asn. Letf(n, m) denote the maximum cardinality of a subsetA ofN such that there is noBA the sum of whose elements ism. It is proved that for 3n ^6/3+mn ²/20 log² n andn>n(), f(n, m)=n/s]+s–2, wheres is the smallest integer that does not dividem. A special case of this result establishes a conjecture of Erds and Graham.Research supported in part by Allon Fellowship, by a Bat-Sheva de Rothschild Grant and by the Fund for Basic Research administered by the Israel Academy of Sciences.