Pairs of disjoint \(q\)-element subsets far from each other (Q5942561)

Summary: Let \(n\) and \(q\) be given integers and \(X\) a finite set with \(n\) elements. The following theorem is proved for \(n>n_0(q)\). The family of all \(q\)-element subsets of \(X\) can be partitioned into disjoint pairs (except possibly one if \(n\choose q\) is odd), so that \(|A_1\cap A_2|+|B_1\cap B_2|\leq q\), \(|A_1\cap B_2|+|B_1\cap A_2|\leq q\) holds for any two such pairs \(\{ A_1,B_1\} \) and \(\{ A_2,B_2\} \). This is a sharpening of a theorem in [\textit{J. Demetrovics, G. O. H. Katona} and \textit{A. Sali}, J. Stat. Plann. Inference 72, No. 1-2, 149-164 (1998; Zbl 0932.68038)]. It is also shown that this is a coding type problem, and several problems of similar nature are posed.