Complete solution for the rainbow numbers of matchings

For a given graph H and a positive n, the rainbow number ofH, denoted by rb(n,H), is the minimum integer k so that in any edge-coloring of K_n with k colors there is a copy of H whose edges have distinct colors. In 2004, Schiermeyer determined rb(n,kK₂) for all n≥3k+3. The case for smaller values of n (namely, ) remained generally open. In this paper we extend Schiermeyer’s result to all plausible n and hence determine the rainbow number of matchings.