B2.5

Combinatorics | Part II, 2003

Prove Ramsey's theorem in its usual infinite form, namely, that if N(r)\mathbb{N}^{(r)} is finitely coloured then there is an infinite subset MNM \subset \mathbb{N} such that M(r)M^{(r)} is monochromatic.

Now let the graph N(2)\mathbb{N}^{(2)} be coloured with an infinite number of colours in such a way that there is no infinite MNM \subset \mathbb{N} with M(2)M^{(2)} monochromatic. By considering a suitable 2-colouring of the set N(4)\mathbb{N}^{(4)} of 4 -sets, show that there is an infinite MNM \subset \mathbb{N} with the property that any two edges of M(2)M^{(2)} of the form ad,bca d, b c with a<b<c<da<b<c<d have different colours.

By considering two further 2-colourings of N(4)\mathbb{N}^{(4)}, show that there is an infinite MNM \subset \mathbb{N} such that any two non-incident edges of M(2)M^{(2)} have different colours.

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