Completely Disconnecting the Complete Graph (Q4943702)

Let \(\omega \in {\mathbb{N}} \cup \{\infty\}\). By ``completely disconnecting a graph \(G\)'' the authors mean a sequence \(G= G_0, G_1, \ldots, G_t\) of spanning subgraphs of \(G\) where \(G_t\) has no edge and \(G_{i+1}\) is obtained from \(G_i\) by deleting at most \(\omega\) edges with no more than one edge being deleted from any connected component of \(G_i\). In case \(\omega = \infty\), one can delete any number of edges at a time. The authors ask for the minimum number of steps \(t = f_{\omega}(n)\) it will take to completely disconnect the complete graph on \(n\) vertices, and show that, as \(n \rightarrow \infty\), \[ \frac{ 1 }{{ n \choose 2} }f_{\infty}(n) \sim \frac{2}{3} \quad \text{and}\quad \frac{ 1 }{{ n \choose 2} }f_2(n) \sim \frac{1}{2} + \lambda(1-\lambda) = .74194412\dots, \] where \(\lambda\) is the real root of the equation \(\lambda = 2(1-\lambda)^3\).