Equivalent subsets of a colored set (Q942148)

A \textit{colored set} is a pair \((X,\varphi)\) where \(X\) is a finite set and \(\varphi\) is a function from \(X\) to \(N=\{1,2,3,\dots\}\). Two such sets \((X_1,\varphi_1)\) and \((X_2,\varphi_2)\) are \textit{equivalent} if there exists a permutation \(\sigma\) of \(N\) such that \(| \varphi_1^{-1}(y)| =| \varphi_1^{-1}(\sigma(y))| \) for any \(y\in N\). \((X,\varphi)\) has a \((k;\ell)\)\textit{-partition} if there exists a partition \(X=X_0 \cup X_1\cup\dots\cup X_\ell\) such that\(| X_i| =k\) for \(1\leq i\leq \ell\), and \((X_i,\varphi| X_i)\) and \((X_j,\varphi| X_j)\) are equivalent for \(1\leq i<j\leq \ell\). Let \(f(k,\ell)\) be the smallest integer \(n\) such that any colored set \((X, \varphi)\) with \(| X| \geq n\) has a \((k;\ell)\)-partition. The author shows that if \(k,\ell \geq2\) with \(\ell\geq k-2\), then \(f(k,\ell)=(k+1)\ell -1\). The proof is long and difficult but clear and precise. This generalizes the results in the author's paper in Discrete Math. 265, No. 1--3, 405--410 (2003; Zbl 1032.05138).