Lagrangian-perfect hypergraphs (Q6084663)

For an \(r\)-graph \((r\ge2)\) \(G=(V,E)\) with \(V=[n]\), and \(\vec x=(x_1,\dots,x_n)\in[0,\infty)^n\), \(\lambda(G,\vec x)=\sum\limits_{e\in E}\prod\limits_{i\in e}x_i\); the Lagrangian is \(\lambda(G) =\max\{\lambda(G,\vec x):\vec x\in\Delta\}\), where \(\Delta=\{\vec x=(x_1,x_2,\dots,x_n)\in[0,1]^n:x_1+x_2+\dots+x_n=1\}\); the Lagrangian density \(\pi_\lambda(G)\) is \(\sup\{r!\lambda(F):F\text{ is }G\text{-free}\}\); \(G\) is \(\lambda\)-perfect if \(\pi_\lambda(G)=r!\lambda\left(K^r_{|V|-1}\right)\); its Turán density is \(\pi(G)=\lim\limits_{n\to\infty}\frac{\text{ex}(n,G)}{\binom nr}\). (In \textit{T. S. Motzkin} and \textit{E. G. Straus} [Can. J. Math. 17, 533--540 (1965; Zbl 0129.39902), Theorem 1.2], it was proved that, when \(r=2\) and \(t=\max\left\{m:K^2_m\subseteq G\right\}\), then \(\lambda(G)=\lambda(K^2_t)=\frac12\left(1-\frac1t\right)\).) Most of this paper is concerned with properties of various \(\lambda\)-perfect hypergraphs; the paper is replete with historical information and contains a number of conjectures. The 3-graph \(K^{3-}_4\) has \(V=\{1,2,3,4\}\) and \(E=\{123,124,134\}\), i.e.\ it is the complete 3-graph \(K^3_4\) with one face deleted; \(F_5\) is the 3-graph with vertex-set \(\{1,2,3,4,5\}\) and edge-set \(\{123,124,345\}\); \(S_{2,t}\) has vertex-set \(\{1,2,\dots,t+1,t+2\}\) and edge-set \(\{123,124,125,\dots,12(t+1),12(t+2)\}\). A restriction in Theorem 1.7 of the authors' paper [Discrete Math. 342, No. 7, 2048--2059 (2019; Zbl 1420.05124)] is removed in Theorem 1.6 of this paper: If \(H\) is \(\lambda\)-perfect, then the disjoint union \(H\cup S_{2,t}\) is \(\lambda\)-perfect for any \(t\ge1\). They show how the improved theorem impacts results in [\textit{D. Hefetz} and \textit{P. Keevash}, J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 120, No. 8, 2020--2038 (2013; Zbl 1278.05162); \textit{S. Hu} et al., ``Lagrangian densities of linear forests and Turán numbers of their extensions'', J. Combin. Des. 28, No. 3, 207--223 (2020); \textit{T. Jiang} et al., Eur. J. Comb. 73, 20--36 (2018; Zbl 1393.05169)]. The authors show that several specific disjoint unions of hypergraphs are \(\lambda\)-perfect, for example Theorem 1.8: \(F_5\cup S_{2,t}\) is \(\lambda\)-perfect for \(t\ge2\). Theorem 1.9: \(K^{3-}_4\cup S_{2,t}\) is \(\lambda\)-perfect for any \(t\ge1\). Theorem 1.10: Let H be a 3-graph with \(s\) vertices. Then, \(H\cup S_{2,t}\) is \(\lambda\)-perfect if \(t\ge\frac32 s^2-\frac{11}2 s+4\). They also answer Question 30 of [\textit{R. Baber} and \textit{J. Talbot}, Electron. J. Comb. 19, No. 2, Research Paper P22, 21 p. (2012; Zbl 1244.05122)]: Theorem 1.11: Let \(\mathcal{P}=\{P_1,P_2,P_3,P_4\}\) where \(P_1=\{123,124,134,234,567\}\), \(P_2=\{123,124,134,234,561,562,783\}\), \(P_3=\{123,124,134,234,561,562,734\}\), and \(P_4=\{123,124,134,234,561, 562, 357\}\). Then, \(\pi_\lambda(\mathcal{P})=\frac{\sqrt3}3\). This theorem is applied by the authors in [SIAM J. Discrete Math. 36, No. 1, 786--822 (2022; Zbl 1485.05123), Theorem 1.4].