Let $\mathbb{Z}$ be the set of integers, ${\mathbb{N}}_0$ the set of nonnegative integers and $F(x_1,x_2)=u_1{x}_1+u_2{x}_2$ be a binary linear form whose coefficients $u_1$, $u_2$ are nonzero, relatively prime integers such that $u_1{u}_2\ne \pm 1$ and $u_1{u}_2\ne -2$. Let $f:\mathbb{Z}\to {\mathbb{N}}_0\cup \left\{\infty \right\}$ be any function such that the set $f^{-1}\left(0\right)$ has asymptotic density zero. In 2007, M. B. Nathanson (2007) proved that there exists a set $A$ of integers such that $r_{A,F}\left(n\right)=f\left(n\right)$ for all integers $n$, where $r_{A,F}\left(n\right)=\left|\{(a,a^{\text{'}}):n=u_{1}a+u_2{a}^{\text{'}}:a,a^{\text{'}}\in A\}\right|$. We add the structure of difference for the binary linear form $F(x_1,x_2)$.

For any given positive integer k, and any set A of nonnegative integers, let $r_{1,k}(A,n)$ denote the number of solutions of the equation n = a₁ + ka₂ with a₁,a₂ ∈ A. We prove that if k,l are multiplicatively independent integers, i.e., log k/log l is irrational, then there does not exist any set A ⊆ ℕ such that both $r_{1,k}(A,n)=r_{1,k}(\mathbb{N}\setminus A,n)$ and $r_{1,l}(A,n)=r_{1,l}(\mathbb{N}\setminus A,n)$ hold for all n ≥ n₀. We also pose a conjecture and two problems for further research.

In an earlier paper [9], the authors discussed some solved and unsolved problems in combinatorial number theory. First we will give an update of some of these problems. In the remaining part of this paper we will discuss some further problems of the two authors.