An intersection-union theorem for integer sequences (Q1057272)

Let \(E^ n_ k = \left\{\bar x = (x_ 1,\ldots,x_ n)| x_1 \in \{0,1,\ldots,k-1\}\right\}\) with \(k\geq2\). A subset \(S\) of \(E^ n_ k\) is called an intersection-family [union-family] if, for all \(\bar x,\bar y\in S\), there exists \(i\) with \(x_ i\), \(y_ i\neq 0\) \([x_ i, y_ i\neq k-1]\). S is an intersection-union-family if it has both of the above properties. Define \(K_ n\) by \(K_{2n}=\frac12\binom{2n}n\), \(K_{2n+1}=0\). The authors prove that \(e_{\text{intun}}(k,n)\), the maximum size of an intersection-union-family in \(E^ n_ k\), is given by \[ \begin{aligned} e_{\text{intun}}(Kn,n) &= \sum_{j>n/2} \sum_{i<n/2} \binom nj \binom ji (k-2)^{j-1} + 2K_ n \sum_{i<n/2} \binom {n/2}i (k-2)^{n/2-1} + K_ n \\ &=\begin{cases} k^{n-2}\quad&\text{if \(k=2\);} \\ k^ n\left(1-O\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)\right)\quad&\text{if \(k\geq3\) and \(n\to \infty\).} \end{cases} \end{aligned} \]