Venn diagrams with few vertices (Q1269702)

Summary: An \(n\)-Venn diagram is a collection of \(n\) finitely-intersecting simple closed curves in the plane, such that each of the \(2^n\) sets \(X_1 \cap X_2 \cap \cdots \cap X_n\), where each \(X_i\) is the open interior or exterior of the \(i\)th curve, is a non-empty connected region. The weight of a region is the number of curves that contain it. A region of weight \(k\) is a \(k\)-region. A monotone Venn diagram with \(n\) curves has the property that every \(k\)-region, where \(0<k<n\), is adjacent to at least one \((k-1)\)-region and at least one \((k+1)\)-region. Monotone diagrams are precisely those that can be drawn with all curves convex. An \(n\)-Venn diagram can be interpreted as a planar graph in which the intersection points of the curves are the vertices. For general Venn diagrams, the number of vertices is at least \( \lceil \frac{2^n-2}{n-1} \rceil\). Examples are given that demonstrate that this bound can be attained for \(1 < n \leq 7\). We show that each monotone Venn diagram has at least \({n \choose {\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}}\) vertices, and that this lower bound can be attained for all \(n > 1\).