A density version of the Hales-Jewett theorem for \(k=3\) (Q911597)

An H-J sequence, or combinatorial line, is a sequence \(\{w_ j\}^{k- 1}_{j=0}\subset \Omega_ n\) such that there is a partition \(\{1,...,n\}=E\cup F,\) \(F\neq \emptyset\) with all words \(w_ j\) coinciding on E but with \(w_ j(a)=j\) for \(a\in F\). The usual H-J theorem states that for every k and \(m>1\), there exists an integer N(k,m) such that, for \(n>N(k,m),\) then for any m-coloring of \(\Omega_ n(k)\) there exists a monochromatic H-J sequence. The authors prove that, for \(\epsilon >0\), there is an integer N(\(\epsilon)\) such that if \(n>N(\epsilon)\), every subset \(A\subset \Omega_ n(3)\) with relative density \(\geq \epsilon\) contains an H-J sequence.