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Combinatorics Difficulty 7.7 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Ukraine

There is a group of 2n2n people, among whom there are couples of friends. It is known that every person in this group has exactly k1k \ge 1 friends (if "A" is familiar with "B", then conversely, "B" is familiar with "A"). Find such a number kk for which this group can always be divided into two subgroups of nn people so that in both subgroups each person has at least one friend?
(Bogdan Rublyov)

Solution

For k=1k=1 everything it is obvious. All friends are divided into pairs. In order to be able to split everyone properly, each pair must fall into one subgroup. But each subgroup must have the same number of people. Therefore, if there is an even number of such pairs, that is n=2mn=2m, it can be done by adding exactly mm pairs to each of the subgroups. If n=2m1n=2m-1, then for any division of all people into two equal parts at least in one of the couples people will fall into different subgroups, and therefore they will not have the same friend in their subgroup.

Now, let k2k \ge 2 and, for example, there is a division in which it is impossible to properly divide the group into two subgroups. Let's consider an arbitrary splitting into two subgroups of nn people. We denote people with points that are broken up by a vertical line into two subgroups - the left (L) and the right (R).

Draw the line segments between all pairs of acquaintances. The segments between people who fall into one subgroup with such a division will be called *important*. Now among all possible division, choose the one in which the number of important segments is *maximal*. We call such a division (or any of these, if there may be several) maximal. Presumably it is impossible to divide the group into two subgroups as needed. Therefore, for a maximal division there exists, for example, in the left subgroup, some person XX whose all his/her kk friends A1,,AkA_1, \dots, A_k are in the right subgroup. Consider two cases.

Suppose there are two people BLB \in L and CRC \in R, that are friends with each other. Clearly, according to the rules the line segment between them is not important. Suppose CC has l1l \ge 1 friends in the left side, and klk-l friends in the right side. Then let's swap people XX and CC in subgroups. Let's count how much the number of important segments has changed. The left subgroup has ll segments more, and the right side k(kl)=l-k-(k-l)=l more. Thus their number increased, and therefore we got a contradiction with the assumption that this is the maximum division.

By the hypothesis for the maximal division we have that there is a person XLX \in L with all his/her friends are in the right subgroup. At the same time, all other people have friends only in their subgroup.

Consider the case k=2k=2. Then all people divide into chains of 3 or more people. Let's denote them as follows: B1B2B3Bj,j3B_1B_2B_3\dots B_j, j \ge 3. The first B1B_1 and the last BjB_j as well as BtB_t and Bt+1B_{t+1} are acquaintances.

Case 1. Suppose a chain with element XX has 3 elements, that is XX2X3XX_2X_3, then all these three elements have to fall into the same subgroup. Let's move them to the left subgroup. If there is at least one chain of 4 or more people B1B2B3BjB_1B_2B_3\dots B_j in the left subgroup, j4j \ge 4, then it's enough to move B1B_1 and B2B_2 to the right subgroup the required distribution is done. It is impossible to do it this way, if only all chains in the left side consist of 3 elements. Thus the right subgroup has element XX and a few chains of 3 elements. Hence the right subgroup has elements X2,X3X_2, X_3 and at least one chain that does not consist of 3 elements.
If there is exactly one cycle of 5 elements with the other cycles of 3 elements, then the required distribution does not exist. Clearly, all elements of cycles of 3 elements have to be in one subgroup. Then the cycle of 5 elements can be divided in two parts 3+23+2 and two equal groups does not exist. Hence for n=2+6m,m2n=2+6m, m \ge 2 the needed distribution may not exist.
Show, that for all other cases the distribution does exists. If there is at least 1 cycle B1B2B3BjB_1B_2B_3\dots B_j, j=4j=4 or j6j \ge 6, which has exactly 4 or more then 5 elements, then we do the following rearrangements: XX and some cycle of 3 elements must be moved to the right subgroup, and B1B2B3B4B_1B_2B_3B_4 -- left one.

If there is at least two cycles of exactly 5 elements B1B2B3B4B5B_1B_2B_3B_4B_5 and C1C2C3C4C5C_1C_2C_3C_4C_5, then we move elements X2,X3,B1,B2X_2, X_3, B_1, B_2 and C1,C2C_1, C_2, from left to right, and two cycles of length 3 - from right to left.

Case 2. Let chain with the element XX has 5 elements XX2X3X4X5XX_2X_3X_4X_5. If all other chains have 3 elements each, the distribution may not exist. An example is similar to the one given above for n=2+6mn=2+6m, but now mNm \in \mathbb{N}. For n=8n=8 we have two cycles of 3 and 5 elements, which, obviously, cannot be divided into two equal subgroups as needed.
Let's show that for all other cases distribution is possible. That is, there are cycles not only of 3 elements. If there is a cycle of 4 elements in the left subgroup, move it to the right side, and X2,X3,X4,X5X_2, X_3, X_4, X_5 - to the left side. If there is a cycle of at least 5 elements B1B2B3...B_1B_2B_3..., do the following displacement: B1,B2,B3B_1, B_2, B_3 у праву, X2,X3X_2, X_3 у ліву. Thus the left subgroup has only 3 - element cycles. If the right subgroup has a cycle of at least 4 elements B1B2B3...B_1B_2B_3..., then move B1,B2B_1, B_2 and XX to the left subgroup, and the cycle 3 elements to the right side.

Case 3. Let chain with the element XX has 4 elements XX2X3X4XX_2X_3X_4. If in the left side there are cycles of 3 elements B1B2B3B_1B_2B_3 or at least 5 elements B1B2B3...B_1B_2B_3..., then move X2,X3,X4X_2, X_3, X_4 to the left side, and B1,B2,B3B_1, B_2, B_3 - to the right side. The only possibility left is when there are only cycles of 4 elements in the left side. Suppose one of them consists of elements C1C2C3C4C_1C_2C_3C_4. Then the left side cannot have all cycles of 4 elements each. If in the right subgroup there is a cycle of 3 elements B1B2B3B_1B_2B_3 or of at least 5 elements B1B2B3...B_1B_2B_3..., then move C1,C2C_1, C_2 and XX to the right subgroup, and B1,B2,B3B_1, B_2, B_3 to the left subgroup.

Case 4. Let chain with the element XX has at least 6 elements XX2X3X4...XX_2X_3X_4.... If in the left subgroup each cycle has 3 elements B1B2B3B_1B_2B_3, move B1,B2,B3B_1, B_2, B_3 to the right side, and X2,X3,X4X_2, X_3, X_4 - to the left side. If there is a cycle of at least 4 elements B1B2B3B4...B_1B_2B_3B_4..., move B1,B2B_1, B_2 to the right side, and X2,X3X_2, X_3 - to the left side.

Consider the case when k3k \ge 3. Then all people are divided into connected components, which have no less than 4 elements each and the degree of each vertex of a component is k3k \ge 3, moreover element XX is connected to elements X2X3X4...X_2X_3X_4.... If the left side has a connected component of at least 5 elements B1B2B3...B_1B_2B_3..., it's enough to move X2,X3,X4X_2, X_3, X_4 to the left side, and B1,B2,B3B_1, B_2, B_3 - to the right side, if the whole connected component consists of 4 elements XX2X3X4XX_2X_3X_4, otherwise move X2,X3X_2, X_3 to the left side, and B1,B2B_1, B_2 - to the right side.
Otherwise, each connected component in the left side has exactly 4 elements. Clearly, that under such conditions the only possibility is k=3k=3. Then the right side cannot have connected components of 4 elements. Then since there is a component in the right subgroup, that has at least 5 elements B1B2B3...B_1B_2B_3..., move B1,B2,B3B_1, B_2, B_3 to the left side, XX and C1,C2C_1, C_2 to the right side, where C1,C2C_1, C_2 - two elements of one connected component.

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