Disjunctive Rado numbers (Q2575806)

The authors introduce disjunctive Rado numbers (also called disjunctive generalized Schur numbers) as a variation of Rado numbers. The disjunctive Rado number of a given set \(S\) of linear equations in \(m\) variables is defined as the least integer \(n\), provided that it exists, such that for every 2-coloring of the integers \(1,\dots,n\) there exists a monochromatic solution to at least one equation in \(S\). In case such an integer does not exist, the corresponding disjunctive Rado number is infinite. The paper concentrates on the case that \(S\) contains two equations. While the disjunctive Rado number of two equations is always less than or equal to the 2-color Rado number for either equation (and also to the off-diagonal Rado number of the two equations), it is shown that there exist cases where the disjunctive Rado number is finite even though the 2-color Rado numbers of both individual equations are infinite. In particular, a complete explicit characterization of the disjunctive Rado number for the equations \(x_1+a=x_2\) and \(x_1+b=x_2\) (with integers \(a\geq 1\) and \(b\geq 1\)) and also for the equations \(ax_1=x_2\) and \(bx_1=x_2\) (with integers \(a>1\) and \(b>1\)) is given.