Sperner systems consisting of pairs of complementary subsets

It was proved by Erdös, Ko, and Radó (Intersection theorems for systems of finite sets, Quart. J. Math. Oxford Ser.12 (1961), 313–320.) that if $\text{A}$ = {;A₁,…, A_l}; consists of k-subsets of a set with n > 2k elements such that A_i ∩ A_j ≠ ? for all i, j then l ? (_k?1^n?1). Schönheim proved that if A₁, …, A_l are subsets of a set S with n elements such that A_i ? A_j, A_i ∩ A_j ≠ ø and A_i ∪ A_j ≠ S for all i ≠ j then $\text{l ? (}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>[</mtext><mtext>n</mtext><mtext>2</mtext><mtext>]\; ?\; 1</mtext>}}{}^{\mathrm{n\; ?\; 1}}\text{)}$. In this note we prove a common strengthening of these results.     

Sieve-equivalence and explicit bijections

Suppose A₁,…, A_n are subsets of a finite set A, and B₁,…, B_n are subsets of a finite set B. For each subset S of N = {1, 2,…, n}, let A_s = ∩_i?SA_i and B_S = ∩_i?SB_i. It is shown that if explicit bijections f_S:A_S → B_S for each S ? N are given, an explicit bijection h:A-∪_i=1A_i→B-∪_i=1B_i can be constructed. The map h is independent of any ordering of the elements of A and B, and of the order in which the subsets A_i and B_i are listed.     

Disjoint matchings of graphs

In this paper, we prove a generalization of the familiar marriage theorem. One way of stating the marriage theorem is: Let G be a bipartite graph, with parts S₁ and S₂. If A ? S₁ and F(A) ? S₂ is the set of neighbors of points in A, then a matching of G exists if and only if Σ_x∈S2 min(1, | F^?1(x) ∩ A |) ≥ | A | for each A ? S₁. Our theorem is that k disjoint matchings of G exist if and only Σ_x∈S2 min (k, | F^?1(x) ∩ A |) ≥ k | A | for each A ? S₁.     

Cross-intersecting sub-families of hereditary families

Families A₁,A₂,…,Ak of sets are said to be cross-intersecting if for any i and j in {1,2,…,k} with i≠j, any set in Ai intersects any set in Aj. For a finite set X, let X² denote the power set of X (the family of all subsets of X). A family H is said to be hereditary if all subsets of any set in H are in H; so H is hereditary if and only if it is a union of power sets. We conjecture that for any non-empty hereditary sub-family H≠{∅} of X² and any k?|X|+1, both the sum and the product of sizes of k cross-intersecting sub-families A₁,A₂,…,Ak (not necessarily distinct or non-empty) of H are maxima if A₁=A₂=?=Ak=S for some largest starSofH (a sub-family of H whose sets have a common element). We prove this for the case when H is compressed with respect to an element x of X, and for this purpose we establish new properties of the usual compression operation. As we will show, for the sum, the condition k?|X|+1 is sharp. However, for the product, we actually conjecture that the configuration A₁=A₂=?=Ak=S is optimal for any hereditary H and any k?2, and we prove this for a special case.     

On λ-designs

A λ-design is a system of subsets S₁, S₂,…, S_n from an n-set S, n > 3, where |S_i ∩ S_j| = λ for i ≠ j, |S_j| = k_j > λ > 0, and not all k_j, are equal. Ryser [9] and Woodall [101 have shown that each element of S occurs either r₁, or r₂ times (r₁ ≠ r₂) among the sets S₁,…, S_n and r₁ +r₂ = n + 1. Here we: (i) mention most of what is currently known about λ-designs; (ii) provide simpler proofs of some known results; (iii) present several new general theorems; and (iv) apply our theorems and techniques to the calculation of all λ-designs for λ ? 5. In fact, this calculation has been done for all λ ?/ 9 and is available from the author.     

On a problem of Katona on minimal separating systems

Let S be an n-element set. In this paper, we determine the smallest number f(n) for which there exists a family of subsets of S{A₁,A₂,…,A_f(n)} with the following property: Given any two elements x, y ∈ S (x ≠ y), there exist k, l such that A_k ∩ A_l= ?, and x ∈ A_k, y ∈ A_l. In particular it is shown that f(n)= 3 log₃n when n is a power of 3.     

Approximating reversal distance for strings with bounded number of duplicates

For a string A=a₁…a_n, a reversalρ(i,j), 1?i?j?n, transforms the string A into a string A^′=a₁…a_i-1a_ja_j-1…a_ia_j+1…a_n, that is, the reversal ρ(i,j) reverses the order of symbols in the substring a_i…a_j of A. In the case of signed strings, where each symbol is given a sign + or -, the reversal operation also flips the sign of each symbol in the reversed substring. Given two strings, A and B, signed or unsigned, sorting by reversals (SBR) is the problem of finding the minimum number of reversals that transform the string A into the string B.Traditionally, the problem was studied for permutations, that is, for strings in which every symbol appears exactly once. We consider a generalization of the problem, k-SBR, and allow each symbol to appear at most k times in each string, for some k?1. The main result of the paper is an O(k²)-approximation algorithm running in time O(n). For instances with , this is the best known approximation algorithm for k-SBR and, moreover, it is faster than the previous best approximation algorithm.     

On Erdos' ten-point problem

Around 1994, Erdoset al. abstracted from their work the following problem: “Given ten pointsA _ij, 1≤i≤j≤5, on a plane and no three of them being collinear, if there are five pointsA _k, 1≤k≤5, on the plane, including points at infinity, with at least two points distinct, such thatA _i, A_j, A_ij are collinear, where 1≤i≤j≤5, is it true that there are only finitely many suchA _k's?” Erdoset al. obtained the result that generally there are at most 49 groups of suchA _k's. In this paper, using Clifford algebra and Wu's method, we obtain the results that generally there are at most 6 such groups ofA _k's.     

A relationship between stochastic matrices and eigenvalues of products

Let {B₁,…,B_n} be a set of n rank one n×n row stochastic matrices. The next two statements are equivalent: (1) If A is an n×n nonnegative matrix, then 1 is an eigenvalue ofB_kA for each k=1,…,n if and only if A is row stochastic. (2) The n×n row stochastic matrix S whose kth row is a row of B_k for k=1,…,n is nonsingular. For any set {B₁, B₂,…, B_p} of fewer than n row stochastic matrices of order n×n and of any rank, there exists a nonnegative n×n matrix A which is not row stochastic such that 1 is eigenvalue of every B_kA, k=1,…,p.     

Block partitions of sequences

Given a sequence A = (a ₁, …, a _n ) of real numbers, a block B of A is either a set B = {a _i , a _i+1, …, a _j } where i ≤ j or the empty set. The size b of a block B is the sum of its elements. We show that when each a _i ∈ [0, 1] and k is a positive integer, there is a partition of A into k blocks B ₁, …, B _k with |b _i ?b _j | ≤ 1 for every i, j. We extend this result in several directions.     

Pairs of alternating forms and products of two skew-symmetric matrices

Let k be a field, and let S,T,S₁,T₁ be skew-symmetric matrices over k with S,S₁ both nonsingular (if k has characteristic 2, a skew-symmetric matrix is a symmetric one with zero diagonal). It is shown that there exists a nonsingular matrix P over k with P'SP = S₁, P'TP = T₁ (where P' denotes the transpose of P) if and only if S^-1T and S^-1₁T₁ are similar. It is also shown that a 2m×2m matrix over k can be factored as ST, with S,T skew-symmetric and S nonsingular, if and only if A is similar to a matrix direct sum B⊕B where B is an m×m matrix over k. This is equivalent to saying that all elementary divisors of A occur with even multiplicity. An extension of this result giving necessary and sufficient conditions for a square matrix to be so expressible, without assuming that either S or T is nonsingular, is included.     

Simultaneous block diagonalization of two real symmetric matrices

The simultaneous diagonalization of two real symmetric (r.s.) matrices has long been of interest. This subject is generalized here to the following problem (this question was raised by Dr. Olga Taussky-Todd, my thesis advisor at the California Institute of Technology): What is the first simultaneous block diagonal structure of a nonsingular pair of r.s. matrices ? For example, given a nonsingular pair of r.s. matrices S and T, which simultaneous block diagonalizations X′SX = diag(A₁, , A_k), X′TX = diag(B₁,, B_k) with dim A_i = dim B_i and X nonsingular are possible for 1 ? k ? n; and how well defined is a simultaneous block diagonalization for which k, the number of blocks, is maximal? Here a pair of r.s. matrices S and T is called nonsingular if S is nonsingular.If the number of blocks k is maximal, then one can speak of the finest simultaneous block diagonalization of S and T, since then the sizes of the blocks A_i are uniquely determined (up to permutations) by any set of generators of the pencil P(S, T) = {aS + bT|a, tb ε R} via the real Jordan normal form of S^?1T. The proof uses the canonical pair form theorem for nonsingular pairs of r.s. matrices. The maximal number k and the block sizes dim A_i are also determined by the factorization over C of ? (λ, μ) = det(λS + μT) for λ, μ ε R.     

On some t−(2k, k, λ) designs

t?(2k, k, λ) designs having a property similar to that of Hadamard 3-designs are studied. We consider conditions (i), (ii), or (iii) for t?(2k, k, λ) designs: (i) The complement of each block is a block. (ii) If A and B are a complementary pair of blocks, then ∥ A ∩ C ∥ = ∥ B ∩ C ∥ ± u holds for any block C distinct from A and B, where u is a positive integer. (iii) if A and B are a complementary pair of blocks, then ∥ A ∩ C ∥ = ∥ B ∩ C ∥ or ∥ A ∩ C ∥ = ∥ B ∩ C ∥ ± u holds for any block C distinct from A and B, where u is a positive integer. We show that a t?(2k, k, λ) design with t ? 2 and with properties (i) and (ii) is a 3?(2u(2u + 1), u(2u + 1), u(2u² + u ? 2)) design, and that a t?(2k, k, λ) design with t ? 4 and with properties (i) and (iii) is the 5-(12, 6, 1) design, the 4-(8, 4, 1) design, a $\text{5?(2u}{}^2\text{, u}{}^2\text{,}\text{1}\text{4}\text{(u}{}^2\text{? 3) (u}{}^2\text{? 4))}$ design, or a $\text{5?(}\text{2}\text{3}\text{u(2u + 1),}\text{1}\text{3}\text{u(2u = 1),}\text{1}\text{5 4}\text{u(2u}{}^2\text{+ u ? 9) (2u}{}^2\text{+ u ? 12))}$ design.     

r-Numbers completion problems of partial upper canonical form I

A pair (A, B), where A is an n × n matrix and B is an n × m matrix, is said to have the nonnegative integers sequence {r_j}_j=1^p as the r-numbers sequence if r₁ = rank(B) and r_j = rank[B AB … A^j−1 B] − rank[B AB … A^j−2B], 2 ≤ j ≤ p. Given a partial upper triangular matrix A of size n × n in upper canonical form and an n × m matrix B, we develop an algorithm that obtains a completion A_c of A, such that the pair (A^c, B) has an r-numbers sequence prescribed under some restrictions.     

Centers for a 6-parameter family of polynomial vector fields of arbitrary degree

For all non-negative integers n₁,n₂,n₃,j₁,j₂ and j₃ with nk+jk>1 for k=1,2,3, (nk,jk)≠(nl,jl) if k≠l, j₃=n₃−1 and jk≠nk−1 for k=1,2, we study the center variety of the 6-parameter family of real planar polynomial vector given, in complex notation, by , where z=x+iy and A,B,C∈C\{0}.     

Intersection problems and integral equivalence

Let A and B be matrices over a principal ideal domain, Π. Necessary conditions, involving the invariant factors of A and B, are given for B to be a submatrix of A or a principal submatrix of A.If a given nonnegative integral matrix, B, is the intersection matrix of a pair of families of subsets of an n-set, and n is the smallest integer for which this is true, we say that the content of B is n. In that event, B is a submatrix of K(n), the intersection matrix of all subsets of an n-set. More refined results are obtained in certain cases by considering S(n, k, l), the intersection matrix of the k-subsets of an n-set versus its l-subsets. The invariant factors of K(n) and S(n, k, l) are calculated and it is shown how this information may be used to get lower bounds for the content of B. In the more widely studied symmetric version of the content problem, B must be a principal submatrix of K(n) or, possibly, S(n, k) = S(n, k, k). In this case, the invariant factors of K(n) ? xI or S(n, k) ? xI also provide relevant information.     

A generalization of Lavoie's inequality concerning the sum of idempotent matrices

Let a complex pxn matrix A be partitioned as A′=(A′₁,A′₂,…,A′_k). Denote by ?(A), A′, and A^? respectively the rank of A, the transpose of A, and an inner inverse (or a g-inverse) of A. Let A⁽¹⁴⁾ be an inner inverse of A such that A⁽¹⁴⁾A is a Hermitian matrix. Let B=(A⁽¹⁴⁾₁,A⁽¹⁴⁾₂,…,A_k⁽¹⁴⁾) and $\text{ρ(A)=}\text{∑}\text{i=1}\text{k}\text{ρ(A}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{)}$.Then the product of nonzero eigenvalues of BA (or AB) cannot exceed one, and the product of nonzero eigenvalues of BA is equal to one if and only if either B=A⁽¹⁴⁾ or $\text{A}{}_{\mathrm{i>}}\text{A}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>j</mtext>}}{}^1\text{=0}$ for all i ≠ j,i, j=1,2,…,k . The results of Lavoie (1980) and Styan (1981) are obtained as particular cases. A result is obtained for k=2 when the condition $\text{ρ(A)=}\text{∑}\text{i=1}\text{k}\text{ρ(A}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{)}$ is no longer true.     

On a problem of Katona on minimal completely separating systems with restrictions

Let S be a set of n elements, and k a fixed positive integer $\text{<}\text{1}\text{2}\text{n}$. Katona's problem is to determine the smallest integer m for which there exists a family $\text{A}$ = {A₁, …, A_m} of subsets of S with the following property: |_i| ? k (i = 1, …, m), and for any ordered pair x_i, x_i ∈ S (i ≠ j) there is A₁ ∈ $\text{A}$ such that x_i ∈ A₁, x_j ? A₁. It is given in this note that $\text{m = ?}\text{2n}\text{k}\text{?}\text{if}\text{1}\text{2}\text{k}{}^2\text{? 2}$.     

Accurate approximation of time-varying matrices of linear differential systems

We consider the problem of the identification of the time-varying matrix A(t) of a linear m-dimensional differential system y′ = A(t)y. We develop an approximation A_n,k = ∑ⁿ_{j ? 1}c_j{Y(t_k + τ_j) Y^?1(t_k) ? I} to A(t_k) for grid points t_k = a + kh, k = 0,…, N using specified τ_j = θ_jh, 0 < θ_j < 1, j = 1, …, n, and show that for each t_k, the L₁ norm of the error matrix is $\text{O}$(hⁿ). We demonstrate an efficient scheme for the evaluation of A_n,k and treat sample problems.     

Symposium on combinatorial mathematics and optimal design

Let A₁,A₂,…,A_n be finite sets such that A_i?A_j for all i≠j. Let F be an intersecting family consisting of sets contained in some A_i, i=1,2,…,n. Chvátal conjectured that among the largest intersecting families, there is always a star. In this paper, we obtain another proof of a result of Schönheim: If A₁∩A₂∩?∩A_n≠?, then the conjecture is true. We also prove that if A_i∩A_jA_k = ? for all i≠j≠k≠i or if the independent system satisfies a hereditary tree structure, then the conjecture is also true.