Another note on intervals in the Hales-Jewett theorem (Q2121808)

Summary: The Hales-Jewett Theorem states that any \(r\)-colouring of \([m]^n\) contains a monochromatic combinatorial line if \(n\) is large enough. Shelah's proof of the theorem [\textit{S. Shelah}, J. Am. Math. Soc. 1, No. 3, 683--697 (1988; Zbl 0649.05010)] implies that for \(m = 3\) there always exists a monochromatic combinatorial line whose set of active coordinates is the union of at most \(r\) intervals. For odd \(r\), \textit{D. Conlon} and \textit{N. Kamčev} [``Intervals in the Hales-Jewett theorem'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1801.08919}] constructed \(r\)-colourings for which it cannot be fewer than \(r\) intervals. However, we show that for even \(r\) and large \(n\), any \(r\)-colouring of \([3]^n\) contains a monochromatic combinatorial line whose set of active coordinates is the union of at most \(r-1\) intervals. This is optimal and extends a result of \textit{I. Leader} and \textit{E. Räty} [Electron. J. Comb. 25, No. 3, Research Paper P3.15, 3 p. (2018; Zbl 1393.05258)] for \(r=2\).