4 Applications of the Ramsey Theorem
Theorem 4.1. For positive integers q
1
; : : : ; q
k
there exists a smallest positive integer R(q
1
; : : : ; q
k
; 2) such that, if
n ¸ R(q
1
; : : : ; q
k
; 2) and for any edge coloring of the complete graph Kn
with k colors c
1
; : : : ; c
k
, there is at least one
i (1 · i · k) such that Kn
has a complete subgraph Kqi
of the color c
i .
Proof. Each edge of Kn
can be considered as a 2-subset of its vertices.
In the book of Richard Brualdi, the Ramsey numbers R(q
1
; : : : ; q
k
; 2) are denoted by r(q
1
; : : : ; q
k
).
5
Theorem 4.2 (ErdÄos-Szekeres). For any integer k ¸ 3 there exists a smallest integer N (k) such that, if n ¸ N (k)
and for any n points on a plane having no three points through a line, then there is a convex k-gon whose vertices
are among the given n points.
Before proving the theorem we prove the following two lemmas ¯rst.
Lemma 4.3. Among any 5 points on a plane, no three points through a line, 4 of them must form a convex
quadrangle.
Proof. Join every pair of two points by a segment to have a con¯guration of 10 segments. The circumference of the
con¯guration forms a convex polygon. If the convex polygon is a pentagon or a quadrangle, the problem is solved.
Otherwise the polygon must be a triangle, and the other two points must be located inside the triangle. Draw a
straight line through the two points; two of the three vertices must be located in one side of the straight line. The
two vertices on the same side and the two points inside the triangle form a quadrangle.
Lemma 4.4. Given k ¸ 4 points on a plane, no 3 points through a line. If any 4 points are vertices of a convex
quadrangle, then the k points are actually the vertices of a convex k-gon.
Proof. Join every pair of two points by a segment to have a con¯guration of k(k ¡ 1)=2 segments. The circumference
of the con¯guration forms a convex l-polygon. If l = k, the problem is solved. If l < k, there must be at least one
point inside the l-polygon. Let v
1
; v
2
; : : : ; v
l
be the vertices of the convex l-polygon, and draw segments between
v
1
and v
3
; v
4
; : : : ; v
l¡1
respectively. The point inside the convex l-polygon must be located in one of the triangles
4v
1
v
2
v
3
; 4v
1
v
3
v
4
; : : : ; 4v
1
v
l¡1
v
l
. Obviously, the three vertices of the triangle with a given point inside together
with the point do not form a convex quadrangle. This is a contradiction.
Proof of Theorem 4.2. We apply the Ramsey theorem to prove Theorem 4.2. For k = 3, it is obviously true. Now for
k ¸ 4, if n ¸ R(k; 5; 4), we divide the 4-subsets of the n points into a class C of 4-subsets whose points are vertices
of a convex quadrangle, and another class D of 4-subsets whose points are not vertices of any convex quadrangle.
By the Ramsey theorem, there is either k points whose any 4-subset belongs to C , or 5 points whose any 4-subset
belongs to D. In the formal case, the problem is solved by Lemma 4.4. In the latter case, it is impossible by
Lemma 4.3. ¤
Theorem 4.5 (Schur). For any positive integer k there exists a smallest integer Nk
such that, if n ¸ Nk
and for
any k-coloring of [1; n], there is a monochromatic sequence x
1
; x
2
; : : : ; x
l
(l ¸ 2) such that x
l =
P
l¡1
i=1
x
i .
Proof. Let n ¸ R(l; : : : ; l; 2) and let fA1; : : : ; A
k
g be a k-coloring of [1; n]. Let fC
1
; : : : ; C
k
g be a k-coloring of
P2
([1; n]) de¯ned by
fa; bg 2 C
i if and only if ja ¡ bj 2 Ai
; where 1 · i · k:
By the Ramsey theorem, there is one r (1 · r · k) and an l-subset A = fa
1
; a
2
; : : : ; a
l g ½ [1; n] such that
P2
(A) µ Cr
. We may assume a
1
< a2 < ¢ ¢ ¢ < al
. Then
fa
i
; aj
g 2 C
r
and a
j ¡ a
i 2 Ar for all i < j .
Let x
i = a
i+1 ¡ a
i
for 1 · i · l ¡ 1 and x
l = a
l ¡ a
1
. Then x
i 2 Ar
for all 1 · i · l and x
l =
P
l¡1
i=1
x
i
.
4 Applications of the Ramsey Theorem
Theorem 4.1. For positive integers q
1
; : : : ; q
k
there exists a smallest positive integer R(q
1
; : : : ; q
k
; 2) such that, if
n ¸ R(q
1
; : : : ; q
k
; 2) and for any edge coloring of the complete graph Kn
with k colors c
1
; : : : ; c
k
, there is at least one
i (1 · i · k) such that Kn
has a complete subgraph Kqi
of the color c
i .
Proof. Each edge of Kn
can be considered as a 2-subset of its vertices.
In the book of Richard Brualdi, the Ramsey numbers R(q
1
; : : : ; q
k
; 2) are denoted by r(q
1
; : : : ; q
k
).
5
Theorem 4.2 (ErdÄos-Szekeres). For any integer k ¸ 3 there exists a smallest integer N (k) such that, if n ¸ N (k)
and for any n points on a plane having no three points through a line, then there is a convex k-gon whose vertices
are among the given n points.
Before proving the theorem we prove the following two lemmas ¯rst.
Lemma 4.3. Among any 5 points on a plane, no three points through a line, 4 of them must form a convex
quadrangle.
Proof. Join every pair of two points by a segment to have a con¯guration of 10 segments. The circumference of the
con¯guration forms a convex polygon. If the convex polygon is a pentagon or a quadrangle, the problem is solved.
Otherwise the polygon must be a triangle, and the other two points must be located inside the triangle. Draw a
straight line through the two points; two of the three vertices must be located in one side of the straight line. The
two vertices on the same side and the two points inside the triangle form a quadrangle.
Lemma 4.4. Given k ¸ 4 points on a plane, no 3 points through a line. If any 4 points are vertices of a convex
quadrangle, then the k points are actually the vertices of a convex k-gon.
Proof. Join every pair of two points by a segment to have a con¯guration of k(k ¡ 1)=2 segments. The circumference
of the con¯guration forms a convex l-polygon. If l = k, the problem is solved. If l < k, there must be at least one
point inside the l-polygon. Let v
1
; v
2
; : : : ; v
l
be the vertices of the convex l-polygon, and draw segments between
v
1
and v
3
; v
4
; : : : ; v
l¡1
respectively. The point inside the convex l-polygon must be located in one of the triangles
4v
1
v
2
v
3
; 4v
1
v
3
v
4
; : : : ; 4v
1
v
l¡1
v
l
. Obviously, the three vertices of the triangle with a given point inside together
with the point do not form a convex quadrangle. This is a contradiction.
Proof of Theorem 4.2. We apply the Ramsey theorem to prove Theorem 4.2. For k = 3, it is obviously true. Now for
k ¸ 4, if n ¸ R(k; 5; 4), we divide the 4-subsets of the n points into a class C of 4-subsets whose points are vertices
of a convex quadrangle, and another class D of 4-subsets whose points are not vertices of any convex quadrangle.
By the Ramsey theorem, there is either k points whose any 4-subset belongs to C , or 5 points whose any 4-subset
belongs to D. In the formal case, the problem is solved by Lemma 4.4. In the latter case, it is impossible by
Lemma 4.3. ¤
Theorem 4.5 (Schur). For any positive integer k there exists a smallest integer Nk
such that, if n ¸ Nk
and for
any k-coloring of [1; n], there is a monochromatic sequence x
1
; x
2
; : : : ; x
l
(l ¸ 2) such that x
l =
P
l¡1
i=1
x
i .
Proof. Let n ¸ R(l; : : : ; l; 2) and let fA1; : : : ; A
k
g be a k-coloring of [1; n]. Let fC
1
; : : : ; C
k
g be a k-coloring of
P2
([1; n]) de¯ned by
fa; bg 2 C
i if and only if ja ¡ bj 2 Ai
; where 1 · i · k:
By the Ramsey theorem, there is one r (1 · r · k) and an l-subset A = fa
1
; a
2
; : : : ; a
l g ½ [1; n] such that
P2
(A) µ Cr
. We may assume a
1
< a2 < ¢ ¢ ¢ < al
. Then
fa
i
; aj
g 2 C
r
and a
j ¡ a
i 2 Ar for all i < j .
Let x
i = a
i+1 ¡ a
i
for 1 · i · l ¡ 1 and x
l = a
l ¡ a
1
. Then x
i 2 Ar
for all 1 · i · l and x
l =
P
l¡1
i=1
x
i
.
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