Incompatible intersection properties (Q2300156)

A family \(\mathcal{F}\) of sets \(F \subseteq [n]\) is \(r\)-wise \(t\)-intersecting if, for any \(F_1, F_2, \ldots, F_r\) \(\in \mathcal{F}\), \(|F_1 \cap F_2 \cap \cdots, F_r| \geq t\). It is observed that a 3-wise 1-intersecting family \(\mathcal{F}\) that is also 2-wise, 2-intersecting satisfies \(|\mathcal{F}| \leq 5n/16\) (and that if, in addition, \(\bigcap \mathcal{F} = \emptyset\), then \(|\mathcal{F}| \leq 2^{n-2}\)). It is conjectured that if \(\mathcal{F}\) is 3-wise 1-intersecting and 2-wise 3-intersecting, then \(|\mathcal{F}| \leq 2^{n-2}\). It is proved that if \(\mathcal{F}\) is 3-wise 1-intersecting and 2-wise 32-intersecting, then \(|\mathcal{F}| \leq 2^{n-2}\). The methods used in this difficult paper are elementary, and it is largely self-contained.