Extremal problems for colored trees and Davenport-Schinzel sequences (Q1292853)

Motivated by the theory of Davenport-Schinzel sequences the author asks for the maximum number \(\text{Ex}_T(P,n,l)\) of vertices of trees \(T\) fulfilling several conditions: If \(n\) is the maximum number of colors to be used and \(P\) is some given colored tree using \(k\) colors where \(k\leq l\), then \(T\) must not contain a properly 2-colored 3-star \(K_{1,3}\), each pair of vertices of \(T\) with the same color is in distance at least \(l\), and \(P\) must not occur as a refinement in \(T\) with respect to any permutation of the colors. This problem is investigated in detail for the case that \(k\) equals \(l\) and that \(P\) is a colored path. For some short paths exact results for the extremal numbers are obtained, upper bounds are given in more general cases.