Non-trivial \(r\)-wise intersecting families (Q6155545)

This paper is concerned with ``families'' -- subsets \({\mathcal{F}}\subset 2^{[n]}\); for an integer \(k\) such that \(1\le k\le n\) the subfamily \({\mathcal{F}}^{(k)}\subset{\mathcal{F}}\) consists of the \(k\)-uniform sets \(\{F\in{\mathcal{F}}:\vert F\vert =k\}\); \({\mathcal{F}}\) is non-trivial if \(\bigcap\limits_{F\in{\mathcal{F}}}F=\emptyset\), and covering if \(\bigcup\limits_{F\in{\mathcal{F}}}F=[n]\). For integers \(r\ge2\), \(t\ge1\), \({\mathcal{F}}\) is \(r\)-wise \(t\)-intersecting if \(\left\vert F_1\cap F_2\cap\dots\cap F_r\right\vert \ge t\), and \({\mathcal{F}}\) is \(r\)-wise \(t\)-union if \(\left\vert F_1\cup F_2\cup\dots\cup F_r\right\vert \le n-t\), in either case for every choice of \(F_i\in{\mathcal{F}}\) \((i=1,\dots,r)\); when \(t=1\), 1-intersecting, 1-union may be abbreviated respectively to intersecting, union. A subset \(H\subset [n]\) is a hole for the family \({\mathcal{F}}\subset 2^{[n]}\) if \(\vert F\cap H\vert \le 1\) for all \(F\in{\mathcal{F}}\). Let \(n>r\ge2\); \({\mathcal{B}}(n,r)=\{B\subset[n]:\vert B\cap[n-r,n]\vert \le1\}\). The authors apply a result from author Frankl's earlier paper by \textit{P. Frankl} [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. B 136, 222--248 (2019; Zbl 1414.05290)], cited here in the form: \par Theorem 1.5: Let \(r\ge3\), \(n\ge r+2\) and \({\mathcal{F}}\subset 2^{[n]}\). Suppose that \(\mathcal{F}\) is \(r\)-wise union, covering, and that it possesses no hole of size \(r+1\). Then \(\vert {\mathcal{F}}\vert \le (r+6)2^{n-r-2}\). They prove the following theorems: \par Theorem 1.12: Let \(\epsilon>0\), \(n\ge\frac4{\epsilon^2}+7\), \(\left(\frac12+\epsilon\right)n\le k\le\frac{3n}5-3\) and let \({\mathcal{F}}\subset\binom{[n]}{k}\) be a 3-wise union, covering family. Then \(\vert {\mathcal{F}}\vert \le\left\vert {\mathcal{B}}^{(k)}(n,3)\right\vert \). \par Theorem 1.13: Let \(\epsilon>0\), \(n\ge\frac4{\epsilon^2}+8\), \(\left(\frac12+\epsilon\right)n\le k\le0.65n-4\) and let \({\mathcal{F}}\subset\binom{[n]}{k}\) be a 4-wise union, covering family. Then \(\vert {\mathcal{F}}\vert \le\left\vert {\mathcal{B}}^{(k)}(n,4)\right\vert \). \par Theorem 1.14: Let \({\mathcal{F}}\subset\binom{[n]}{k}\) be an \(r\)-wise union and covering family. If \(\left(\frac12+\epsilon\right)n\le k<\left(\frac12+\frac1{4(r+5)}\right)n-r\), \(\epsilon>0\), \(r\ge11\), and \(n\ge\frac{2\log(r+10)}{\epsilon^2}\), then \(\vert {\mathcal{F}}\vert \le\left\vert {\mathcal{B}}^{(k)}(n,r)\right\vert \).