Brace-Daykin type inequalities for intersecting families (Q2462339)

Let \(\mathcal F\) be a family of subsets of \([n]=\{1,\dots,n\}\) with \(\bigcap_{F\in\mathcal F}F=\emptyset\) such that \(F_1\cap\cdots\cap F_r\not=\emptyset\) for all \(F_1,\dots,F_r\in\mathcal F\). \textit{A. Brace} and \textit{D. E. Daykin} [Bull. Austral. Math. Soc. 5, 197--202 (1971; Zbl 0215.33001)] showed that \(| \mathcal F| \leq| \{E\subseteq[n]:\, | E\cap[r+1]| \geq r\}| \) if \(r\geq 3\). In the present paper, the author proves that if \(r\geq 8\) and \(| F| =k\) for all \(F\in\mathcal F\), then there exist \(\varepsilon_r>0\) and \(n_r>0\) such that \[ | \mathcal F| \leq| \{E\subseteq[n]:\,| E| =k\;\&\;| E\cap[r+1]| \geq r\}| =(r+1)\binom{n-r-1}{k-r}+\binom{n-r-1}{k-r-1} \] whenever \(n>n_r\) and \(| k/n-1/2| <\varepsilon_r\). A weighted version of this result is also given in the paper.