Packing nearly-disjoint sets

De Bruijn and Erdős proved that ifA ₁, ...,A _k are distinct subsets of a set of cardinalityn, and |A _i ∩A _j |≦1 for 1≦i<j ≦k, andk>n, then some two ofA ₁, ...,A _k have empty intersection. We prove a strengthening, that at leastk /n ofA ₁, ...,A _k are pairwise disjoint. This is motivated by a well-known conjecture of Erdőds, Faber and Lovász of which it is a corollary. Partially supported by N. S. F. grant No. MCS—8103440     

On families of faces in discrete cubes

Let ℱ be a family ofn−k-dimensional faces of the discrete cube {0,1} ⁿ such that for allF ε ℱ, F ⊄ ∪ { F′: F ≠ F′ ∈ ℱ}. It is shown that ifn≥n ₀ (k) then |ℱ| ≤ . This was conjectured by Aharoni and Holzman and is the casem=2 of a more general result on faces of {0,...,m−1}ⁿ.     

Some remarks on universal graphs

LetΓ be a class of countable graphs, and let ℱ(Γ) denote the class of all countable graphs that do not contain any subgraph isomorphic to a member ofΓ. Furthermore, letTΓ andHΓ denote the class of all subdivisions of graphs inΓ and the class of all graphs contracting to a member ofΓ, respectively. As the main result of this paper it is decided which of the classes ℱ(TK ⁿ ) and ℱ(HK ⁿ ),n≦ℵ₀, contain a universal element. In fact, for ℱ(TK ⁴)=ℱ(HK ⁴) a strongly universal graph is constructed, whereas for 5≦n≦ℵ₀ the classes ℱ(TK ⁿ ) and ℱ(HK ⁿ ) have no universal elements. Dedicated to Klaus Wagner on his 75^th birthday     

An upper bound for the cardinality of ans-distance subset in real euclidean space,II

It is shown that ifX is ans-distance subset inR ^d , then |X|≦( _s ^d+s ). Supported in part by NSF grant MCS7903128 A01. Supported in part by NSF grant MCS.     

On sperner families in which nok sets have an empty intersection III

LetR be anr-element set and ℱ be a Sperner family of its subsets, that is,X ⊈Y for all differentX, Y ∈ ℱ. The maximum cardinality of ℱ is determined under the conditions 1)c≦|X|≦d for allX ∈ ℱ, (c andd are fixed integers) and 2) nok sets (k≧4, fixed integer) in ℱ have an empty intersection. The result is mainly based on a theorem which is proved by induction, simultaneously with a theorem of Frankl.     

Intersecting sperner families and their convex hulls

Let ℱ be a family of subsets of a finite set ofn elements. The vector (f ₀, ...,f _n ) is called the profile of ℱ wheref _i denotes the number ofi-element subsets in ℱ. Take the set of profiles of all families ℱ satisfyingF ₁⊄F ₂ andF ₁∩F ₂≠0 for allF ₁,F ₂teℱ. It is proved that the extreme points of this set inR ⁿ⁺¹ have at most two non-zero components. Dedicated to Paul Erdős on his seventieth birthday     

Intersections ofk-element sets

LetF be a collection ofk-element sets with the property that the intersection of no two should be included in a third. We show that such a collection of maximum size satisfies .2715k+o(k)≦≦log₂ |F|≦.7549k+o(k) settling a question raised by Erdős. The lower bound is probabilistic, the upper bound is deduced via an entropy argument. Some open questions are posed. This research has been supported in part by the Office of Naval Research under Contract N00014-76-C-0366. Supported in part by a NSF postdoctoral Fellowship.     

On a problem of Erdős concerning property B

A family ℱ of sets has propertyB if there exists a setS such thatS∩F≠0 andS⊄F for everyF∈ℱ. ℱ has propertyB(s) if there exists a setS such that 0<|F∩S|<s for everyF∈ℱ. Denote bym(n) (respectivelym(n, s)) the size of a smallest family ofn-element sets not having propertyB (respectivelyB(s)). P. Erdős has asked whetherm(n, s)≧m (s) for alln≧s. We show that, in general, this inequality does not hold.     

How many slopes in a polygon?

The compactness theorem for the predicate calculus is used to prove that ifp is a prime ands is a positive integer withs≦11 or 2 ^s−1≦p and X is a set of distinct residues modp, there are at least 2s−3 distinct residuesx+y withx≠y andx, y∈X.     

Interior points of convex hulls

If a setX ⊂E ⁿ has non-emptyk-dimensional interior, or if some point isk-dimensional surrounded, then the classic theorem of E. Steinitz may be extended. For example ifX ⊂E ⁿ has int _k X ≠ 0, (0 ≦k≦n) and ifp ɛ int conX, thenp ɛ int conY for someY ⊂X with cardY≦2n−k+1.     

An extremal set theoretical characterization of some steiner systems

Letn, k, t be integers,n>k>t≧0, and letm(n, k, t) denote the maximum number of sets, in a family ofk-subsets of ann-set, no two of which intersect in exactlyt elements. The problem of determiningm(n, k, t) was raised by Erdős in 1975. In the present paper we prove that ifk≦2t+1 andk−t is a prime, thenm(n, k, t)≦( _t ⁿ )( _k ^2k-t-1 )/( _t ^2k-t-1 ). Moreover, equality holds if and only if an (n, 2k−t−1,t)-Steiner system exists. The proof uses a linear algebraic approach.     

Partition conditions and vertex-connectivity of graphs

It was proved ([5], [6]) that ifG is ann-vertex-connected graph then for any vertex sequencev ₁, ...,v _n ≠V(G) and for any sequence of positive integersk ₁, ...,k _n such thatk ₁+...+k _n =|V(G)|, there exists ann-partition ofV(G) such that this partition separates the verticesv ₁, ...,v(n), and the class of the partition containingv _i induces a connected subgraph consisting ofk _i vertices, fori=1, 2, ...,n. Now fix the integersk ₁, ...,k _n . In this paper we study what can we say about the vertex-connectivity ofG if there exists such a partition ofV(G) for any sequence of verticesv ₁, ...,v _n ≠V(G). We find some interesting cases when the existence of such partitions implies then-vertex-connectivity ofG, in the other cases we give sharp lower bounds for the vertex-connectivity ofG.     

K 1,p k-factorization of complete bipartite graphs

Abstract. In this paper, it is shown that a sufficient condition for the existence of a     

Edge-isoperimetric inequalities in the grid

The grid graph is the graph on [k] ⁿ ={0,...,k–1} ⁿ in whichx=(x _i ) ₁ ⁿ is joined toy=(y _i ) ₁ ⁿ if for somei we have |x _i –y _i |=1 andx _j =y _j for allji. In this paper we give a lower bound for the number of edges between a subset of [k] ⁿ of given cardinality and its complement. The bound we obtain is essentially best possible. In particular, we show that ifA[k] ⁿ satisfiesk ⁿ /4|A|3k ⁿ /4 then there are at leastk ^n–1 edges betweenA and its complement.Our result is apparently the first example of an isoperimetric inequality for which the extremal sets do not form a nested family.We also give a best possible upper bound for the number of edges spanned by a subset of [k] ⁿ of given cardinality. In particular, forr=1,...,k we show that ifA[k] ⁿ satisfies |A|r ⁿ then the subgraph of [k] ⁿ induced byA has average degree at most 2n(1–1/r).Research partially supported by NSF Grant DMS-8806097     

On the vector space of 0-configurations

Let α be a rational-valued set-function on then-element sexX i.e. α(B) εQ for everyB ⫅X. We say that α defines a 0-configuration with respect toA⫅2 ^x if for everyA εA we have α(B)=0. The 0-configurations form a vector space of dimension 2 ⁿ − |A| (Theorem 1). Let 0 ≦t<k ≦n and letA={A ⫅X: |A| ≦t}. We show that in this case the 0-configurations satisfying α(B)=0 for |B|>k form a vector space of dimension , we exhibit a basis for this space (Theorem 4). Also a result of Frankl, Wilson [3] is strengthened (Theorem 6).     

Diperfect graphs

Gallai and Milgram have shown that the vertices of a directed graph, with stability number α(G), can be covered by exactly α(G) disjoint paths. However, the various proofs of this result do not imply the existence of a maximum stable setS and of a partition of the vertex-set into paths μ₁, μ₂, ..., μ_k such tht |μ_i ∩S|=1 for alli. Later, Gallai proved that in a directed graph, the maximum number of vertices in a path is at least equal to the chromatic number; here again, we do not know if there exists an optimal coloring (S ₁,S ₂, ...,S _k) and a path μ such that |μ ∩S _i|=1 for alli. In this paper we show that many directed graphs, like the perfect graphs, have stronger properties: for every maximal stable setS there exists a partition of the vertex set into paths which meet the stable set in only one point. Also: for every optimal coloring there exists a path which meets each color class in only one point. This suggests several conjecties similar to the perfect graph conjecture. Dedicated to Tibor Gallai on his seventieth birthday     

Set systems with three intersections

LetX be a finite set ofn elements and ℱ a family of 4a+5-element subsets,a≧6. Suppose that all the pairwise intersections of members of ℱ have cardinality 0,a or 2a+1. We show thatc ₁ n ^4/3<max |F|<c ₂ n ^4/3 for some positivec _i’s. This answers a question of P. Frankl.     

Matrices with the edmonds—Johnson property

A matrixA=(a _ij ) has theEdmonds—Johnson property if, for each choice of integral vectorsd ₁,d ₂,b ₁,b ₂, the convex hull of the integral solutions ofd ₁≦x≦d ₂,b ₁≦Ax≦b ₂ is obtained by adding the inequalitiescx≦|δ|, wherec is an integral vector andcx≦δ holds for each solution ofd ₁≦x≦d ₂,b ₁≦Ax≦b ₂. We characterize the Edmonds—Johnson property for integral matricesA which satisfy for each (row index)i. A corollary is that ifG is an undirected graph which does not contain any homeomorph ofK ₄ in which all triangles ofK ₄ have become odd circuits, thenG ist-perfect. This extends results of Boulala, Fonlupt, Sbihi and Uhry. First author’s research supported by the Netherlands Organization for the Advancement of Pure Research (Z.W.O.).     

l p n Superspaces of spans of independent random variables

We show that for 1 ≦p < ∞,p ≠ 2, ifɛ > 0 is small enough andX ≦L _p is the span ofn independent Rademacher functions orn independent Gaussian random variables, then any superspaceY ofX satisfyingd(Y,L _p ^m ) ≦ 1 +ɛ has dimension larger thanr ⁿ, wherer =r(ɛ, p) > 1. This forms part of the author’s doctoral dissertation prepared at Texas A&M University under the direction of Professor W. B. Johnson. Supported in part by NSF DMS-85 00764.     

Every large set of equidistant (0, +1, −1)-vectors forms a sunflower

A theorem of Deza asserts that ifH ₁, ...,H _m ares-sets any pair of which intersects in exactlyd elements and ifm ≧s ² −s+2, then theH _i form aΔ-system, i.e. . In other words, every large equidistant (0, 1)-code of constant weight is trivial. We give a (0, +1, −1) analogue of this theorem.