On well-connected sets of strings (Q2121802)

Summary: Given \(n\) sets \(X_1,\ldots, X_n\), we call the elements of \(S=X_1\times\cdots\times X_n\) strings. A nonempty set of strings \(W\subseteq S\) is said to be well-connected if for every \(v\in W\) and for every \(i\) \((1\leqslant i\leqslant n)\), there is another element \(v'\in W\) which differs from \(v\) only in its \(i\)-th coordinate. We prove a conjecture of Yaokun Wu and Yanzhen Xiong by showing that every set of more than \(\prod_{i=1}^n|X_i|-\prod_{i=1}^n(|X_i|-1)\) strings has a well-connected subset. This bound is tight.