Selection of weights to weigh a thing

(Extracted from Leino’s puzzle page)

You are given a balance (that is, a weighing machine with two trays) and a positive integer N. You are then to request a number of weights. You pick which denominations of weights you want and how many of each you want. After you receive the weights you requested, you are given a thing whose weight is an integer between 1 and N, inclusive. Using the balance and the weights you requested, you must now determine the exact weight of the thing.

As a function of N, how few weights can you get by requesting?

The fake coin

(Can be found in Leino’s puzzle page)
You have 12 coins, 11 of which are the same weight and one counterfeit coin which has a different weight from the others. You have a balance that in each weighing tells you whether the two sides are of equal weight, or which side weighs more. How many weighings do you need to determine: which is the counterfeit coin, and whether it weighs more or less than the other coins. How?