Probabilistic method

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10 per cent of the surface of a sphere is coloured blue, the rest is red. Show that, irrespective of the manner in which the colours are distributed, it is possible to inscribe a cube in SS with all its vertices red.

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Let GG be a finite graph with neither loops nor multiple edges, and write dvd_{v} for the degree of the vertex vv. An independent set is a set of vertices no pair of which is joined by an edge. Let α(G)\alpha (G) be the size of the largest independent set of GG. Use the probabilistic method to show that α(G)≥∑v1/(dv+1)\alpha (G) \geq \sum_{v} 1 /\left(d_{v}+1\right).

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Remark.
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This conclusion is sometimes referred to as Turán's theorem.

Let G=(V,E)G = (V, E) be a finite graph. For any set WW of vertices and any edge e∈Ee \in E, define the indicator function

IW(e)={1 if e connects W and W∁0 otherwise  I_{W}(e) = \begin{cases} 1 & \text{ if } e \text{ connects } W \text{ and } W^{\complement } \\ 0 & \text{ otherwise }\end{cases}

Set NW=∑e∈EIW(e)N_{W} = \sum_{e \in E} I_{W}(e). Show that there exists W⊆VW \subseteq V such that NW≥12∣E∣N_{W} \geq \frac{1}{2}\left|E\right|.

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Show that any set of 10 points in the plane R2\mathbb {R}^{2} can be covered by a suitable placement of disjoint open unit disks. [Hint: Consider an infinite array of unit disks whose centres form a triangular lattice.]

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Show that a sheet of paper of area A cm2A \mathrm{~ cm}^{2} can be placed on the square lattice with period 1 cm in such a way that at least ⌈A⌉\lceil A\rceil points are covered.

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Show that it is possible to position a convex rock of surface area SS in sunlight in such a way that its shadow has area at least 14S\frac{1}{4} S.

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For any nn vectors v1,…,vnv_1,\ldots ,v_n of length 1 in the plane there exists a tuple ε1,…,εn=±1\varepsilon_1,\ldots ,\varepsilon_n = \pm 1 such that

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(1)

∣∑k=1nεkvk∣⩽n\left|\sum_{k=1}^{n}\varepsilon_kv_k\right| \leqslant \sqrt{n},

(2)

∣∑k=1nεkvk∣⩾n\left|\sum_{k=1}^{n}\varepsilon_kv_k\right| \geqslant \sqrt{n}.

Every set of nn distinct positive integers contains a subset of more than n/3n/3 numbers in which there are no three numbers such that the sum of two of them equals the third.

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In a firm, for each of 100 kinds of work there are exactly 8 specialists. Each employee must be given a day off on Saturday or on Sunday. Prove that this can be done so that on both Saturday and Sunday, for each kind of work, a specialist in it is at work.

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Remark.
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Clearly, for a given number kk of specialists (in Problem 1.6.7, k=8k=8) and a small number of kinds of work, the days off can always be distributed in this way. But for a large number ll of kinds of work this may no longer be possible. In Problem 1.6.8 we find an asymptotic lower bound for such a number ll.

Here is a more learned formulation of (a generalization of) Problem 1.6.7. There are l=2k−1l = 2^{k-1} subsets of some set, each of which contains exactly kk elements. Then the elements of this set can be colored in two colors so that none of the ll subsets is monochromatic. Cf. Problem 6.2.1(1).

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(1)

If for some even nn

(1−2(n/2k)(nk))l2n<1, \left(1-2\frac{\binom {n/2}{k}}{\binom {n}{k}}\right)^l 2^n < 1,

then in an nn-element set one can find ll subsets of kk elements each such that for any coloring of the elements of this set in two colors at least one of these ll subsets is monochromatic.

(2)

There exists c>0c>0 such that for any kk there exist kk-element subsets of some set, at most ck22kck^22^k in number, such that for any coloring of the elements of this set in two colors one of these subsets is monochromatic.

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R(n,n)>(n−1)2R(n, n) > (n-1)^2.

(2)

Erdős’s theorem. R(n,n)>n2(n−3)/2R(n, n) > n2^{(n-3)/2} for all sufficiently large nn. (More precisely, Erdős's theorem states that R(n,n)≳n2n/2/eR(n, n) \gtrsim n2^{n/2}/e. The symbol ≳\gtrsim is defined in Sec. 6.1.)

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If (rn)<2(n2)−1\binom {r}{n} < 2^{\binom {n}{2}-1}, then R(n,n)>rR(n, n) > r.

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If (rn)<s2(n2)−1\binom {r}{n} < s2^{\binom {n}{2}-1}, then R(n,n)>r−sR(n, n) > r - s.

(5)

R(n,n)>r−(rn)21−(n2)R(n, n) > r - \binom {r}{n}2^{1-\binom {n}{2}} for every rr.

The Ramsey number R(m1,…,mk)R(m_1, \ldots , m_k) is the smallest positive integer xx such that for any coloring of the edges of the graph KxK_x in kk colors, for some ii there is an mim_i-clique of the ii-th color (i.e., mim_i vertices pairwise joined by edges of color ii).

Find lower bounds on R(n,…,n⏟k)R(\underbrace{n, \ldots , n}_{k}) analogous to the statements

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4.1.5(1);

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4.1.5(2).

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If (rn)<2(n3)−1\binom {r}{n} < 2^{\binom {n}{3}-1}, then R3(n,n)>rR_3(n, n) > r.

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There exists a number c>0c > 0 such that R3(n,n)⩾2cn2R_3(n, n) \geqslant 2^{cn^2}.

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Find lower bounds on Rl(n,…,n⏟k)R_l(\underbrace{n, \ldots , n}_{k}) analogous to Statements 4.1.5(1, 2) (cf. Problem 4.2.7).

It is known that Rl(n,…,n⏟r2r+1)⩾(l−1)rr⋯rR_l(\underbrace{n, \ldots , n}_{r^{2r}+1}) \geqslant (l-1)r^{r^{\cdots^{r}}} (a power tower of height nn).

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For any (n,s,k)(n,s,k)-collection there exists an SCR of size less than

G(n,s,k):=max⁡{nk,nkln⁡skn}+nk+1. G(n,s,k) := \max \left\{ \frac{n}{k}, \frac{n}{k}\ln \frac{sk}{n}\right\} + \frac{n}{k} + 1.
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If n⩾32kn \geqslant 32k and 60⩽skn<ek60 \leqslant \dfrac {sk}{n} < e^{k}, then there exists an (n,s,k)(n,s,k)-collection every SCR of which has size greater than n64kln⁡skn\dfrac {n}{64k}\ln \dfrac {sk}{n}.

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If

k⩽n−landG((nk),(nl),(n−lk))⩽s, k \leqslant n-l \quad \text{and} \quad G\left(\binom {n}{k}, \binom {n}{l}, \binom {n-l}{k}\right) \leqslant s,

then there exists an (n,s,k)(n,s,k)-collection every SCR of which has size greater than ll.

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For all sufficiently large nn, if k2l+kl2<n1,8k^{2}l+kl^{2} < n^{1{,}8}, then k<n−lk < n-l and (nk)/(n−lk)<2ekl/n\binom {n}{k}\Big/\binom {n-l}{k} < 2e^{kl/n}.

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For all sufficiently large nn and kk, if 101ln⁡ln⁡k<ln⁡skn<k<n4101\ln \ln k < \ln \dfrac {sk}{n} < \sqrt{k} < \sqrt[4]{n}, then there exists an (n,s,k)(n,s,k)-collection every SCR of which has size greater than 0,99nkln⁡skn0{,}99\dfrac {n}{k}\ln \dfrac {sk}{n}.

(6)

If

l⩽n−kand(nl)((nk)−(n−lk))<((nk)s), l \leqslant n-k \quad \text{and} \quad \binom {n}{l}\left(\binom {n}{k}-\binom {n-l}{k}\right) < \binom {\binom {n}{k}}{s},

then there exists an (n,s,k)(n,s,k)-collection every SCR of which has size greater than ll.

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Prove that the first 8 positive integers can be colored in 2 colors so that there is no monochromatic arithmetic progression of length 3.

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Prove that the first 15 million positive integers can be colored in 2 colors so that there is no monochromatic arithmetic progression of length 32.

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Prove that for any M∈RM \in \mathbb {R} all real numbers can be colored in 2 colors so that for any x∈Rx \in \mathbb {R} the numbers xx and x+Mx+M have different colors.

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Prove that for any 25 distinct numbers M1,…,M25∈RM_1,\ldots ,M_{25} \in \mathbb {R} all real numbers can be colored in 3 colors so that for any x∈Rx \in \mathbb {R} the numbers x+M1,…,x+M25x+M_1,\ldots ,x+M_{25} include numbers of each of the three colors.

If in a graph G=(V,E)G=(V,E) with nn vertices the minimum vertex degree equals δ\delta, then

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for any p∈(0,1)p\in (0,1) there exists a set of vertices A⊂VA\subset V such that the union of AA and the set of all vertices not joined to any vertex of AA contains at most np+n(1−p)δ+1np+n(1-p)^{\delta +1} vertices;

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there exists a set of vertices D⊂VD\subset V such that every vertex of V∖DV\setminus D is joined by an edge to some vertex of DD and ∣D∣⩽n1+ln⁡(δ+1)δ+1\left|D\right|\leqslant n\dfrac {1+\ln (\delta +1)}{\delta +1}.

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If (km)p(m2)+(kn)(1−p)(n2)<1\dbinom {k}{m}p^{\binom {m}{2}}+\dbinom {k}{n}(1-p)^{\binom {n}{2}} < 1 for some p∈(0,1)p\in (0,1), then R(m,n)>kR(m,n) > k (here R(m,n)R(m,n) are the Ramsey numbers, see Sec. 4.1).

(2)

R(4,n)⩾Ω(n2ln⁡2n)R(4,n) \geqslant \Omega \left(\dfrac {n^2}{\ln^2 n}\right) (we write g⩾Ω(f)g \geqslant \Omega (f) if f=O(g)f=O(g)).

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Cherchez la femme. At a Russian-French meeting there were no representatives of other countries. The total amount of money held by the French turned out to be greater than the total amount of money held by the Russians, and the total amount of money held by the women turned out to be greater than the total amount of money held by the men. Must there have been a Frenchwoman at the meeting?

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Banknotes of different denominations and from different countries are packed into two suitcases. The average value of a banknote equals 100 rubles. The total number of banknotes in the left suitcase is greater than in the right one. Must there be a banknote worth at most 200 rubles in the left suitcase? (Cf. Markov's inequality 6.3.9 (1).)

(3)

For any integers l,q>0l,q>0 there exists a graph that contains no cycles of length less than ll and cannot be properly colored in qq colors. (See the definition of a proper coloring in Sec. 3.1.)

References

[GrSt20] Grimmett G.R., Stirzaker D.R. Probability and Random Processes. 4th ed., Oxford University Press, 2020.
[ГДИ+16] Глибичук А.А., Дайняк А.Б., Ильинский Д.Г., Купавский А.Б., Райгородский А.М., Скопенков А.Б., Чернов А.А. Элементы дискретной математики в задачах. МЦНМО, 2016.