%! TEX root = PC.tex % vim: tw=80 ft=tex % 13/10/2025 09AM \newpage \section{The Ramsey numbers $R(3, k)$} \begin{fcthm}[Erdos-Szekeres, 1935] \label{thm:erdosszekeres} $R(l, k) \le {k + l - 2 \choose l - 1}$. \end{fcthm} \begin{proof} Induction. \end{proof} \begin{note*} $R(k) = R(k, k) \le {2(k - 1) \choose k - 1} \sim c \frac{4^k}{\sqrt{k}}$. \end{note*} \begin{fccoro}[] \label{coro:trivialr3kupperbound} $R(3, k) \le k^2$. \end{fccoro} \textbf{Idea 1:} If randomly colour $K_n$, we have $\sim \frac{1}{8} {n \choose 3}$ triangles \intosad \textbf{Idea 2:} We want to bias our distribution in favour of $K_k$ -- colour ``red''. Say $G \sim G(n, p)$. Sad news: if $p \gg \frac{1}{n}$ then $G$ contains a $K_3$ with high probability. \intosad \begin{fcthm}[Erdos, 1960s] \label{thm:firstr3klowerbound} $R(3, k) \ge c \left( \frac{k}{\log k} \right)^{3/2}$ for some $c > 0$. \end{fcthm} \textbf{Proof idea:} Sample $G \sim G(n, p)$, then define $\tilde{G} = G - (\text{a vertex from each triangle})$. For this to work we need $\frac{\# \text{vertices}}{2} > \# \text{triangles}$. So $\frac{n}{2} > p^3 {n \choose 3}$. So take $p \sim n^{-2/3}$. \begin{remark*} This is called the ``deletion method''. \end{remark*} \textbf{Fact} (Markov)\textbf{.} Let $X$ be a non-negative random variable. Let $t > 0$. Then \[ \Pbb(X \ge t) \le \frac{\Ebb X}{t} .\] That is \[ \Pbb(X \ge s\Ebb X) \le \frac{1}{s} ,\] for any $s > 0$. \textbf{Fact.} For $1 \le k \le n$ we have \[ {n \choose k} \le \left( \frac{en}{k} \right)^k \] and \[ {n \choose k} \ge \left( \frac{n}{k} \right)^k .\] \begin{fcdefn}[Independence number] \glsadjdefn{ind}{independent}{set}% \glssymboldefn{indnum}% Let $G$ be a graph. Then $I \subset V(G)$ is \emph{independent} if $x \not\sim y$ in $G$ for all $x, y \in I$. Let $\alpha(G) = \text{size of the largest independent set}$. \end{fcdefn} \begin{center} \includegraphics[width=0.3\linewidth]{images/6e7733c2214b44de.png} \end{center} \begin{note*} To prove \cref{thm:firstr3klowerbound}, we are trying to construct a triangle free graph on $k^{3/2 - o(1)}$ vertices with $\indnum(G) < k$. \end{note*} \begin{fclemma}[] \label{lemma:randomindnum} Assuming: - $\frac{1}{n} \ll p \le \half$ - $G \sim G(n, p)$ Then: \[ \indnum(G) \le (2 + o(1)) \frac{\log np}{p} ,\] with probability tending to $1$ as $n \to \infty$ (known as ``with high probability (w.h.p.)''). \end{fclemma} \begin{remark*} We actually have $=$ in this lemma. \end{remark*} \begin{proof} Let $k = (2 + \delta) \frac{\log np}{p}$, for some $\delta > 0$. Let $X$ be the random variable that counts the number of independent $k$ sets in $G$. Using $1 - x \le e^{-x}$, \begin{align*} \Ebb X &= \Ebb \sum_{I \in [n]^{(k)}} \indicator{\text{$I$ is \gls{ind}}} \\ &= \sum_{I \in [n]^{(k)}} \Pbb(\text{$I$ is \gls{ind}}) \\ &= {n \choose k} (1 - p)^{{k \choose 2}} \\ &\le \left( \frac{en}{k} \right)^k e^{-p {k \choose 2}} \\ &= \left( \frac{en}{k} \cdot e^{- \left( \frac{k - 1}{2} \right) p} \right)^k \\ &\to 0 \end{align*} by plugging in $k$. So by Markov, \[ \Pbb(X \ge 1) \le \Ebb X \to 0 . \qedhere \] \end{proof} We have a method for bounding the probability that $X$ is large: Markov says that $\Pbb(X > t) \le \frac{\Ebb X}{t}$. What about bounding the probability that it is small? \textbf{Fact:} Let $X$ be a random variable with $\Ebb X$, $\Var X$ finite. Then for all $t > 0$, \[ \Pbb(|X - \Ebb X| \ge t) \le \frac{\Var X}{t^2} .\] Reminder: \[ \Var X = \Ebb X^2 - (\Ebb X)^2 = \Ebb(X - \Ebb X)^2 .\] \begin{fclemma}[] Assuming: - $\frac{1}{n} \ll p \le 1$ - $G \sim G(n, p)$ Then: \[ \# \text{triangles in $G$} = (1 + o(1)) p^3 {n \choose 3} \] with high probability. \end{fclemma} \begin{proof} Let $X$ be the random variable counting the number of triangles in $G$. Note \[ X = \sum_{T \in [n]^{(3)}} \indicator{T^{(2)} \subset G} .\] Mean is straightforward: \[ \Ebb X = p^3 {n \choose 3} .\] Variance is a little more tricky. First: \[ X^2 = \sum_{S, T \in [n]^{(3)}} \indicator{S^{(2)}, T^{(2)} \subset G} .\]