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Korean Mathematical Olympiad Final Round

Combinatorics Difficulty 6.7 National Olympiad Prove it South Korea

Given an one-to-one correspondence f:{1,2,…,n}→{1,2,…,n}f : \{1, 2, \dots, n\} \to \{1, 2, \dots, n\} for some positive integer nn, define four sets AA, BB, CC, DD as follows:
A={i∣i>f(i)} A = \{i \mid i > f(i)\}
B={(i,j)∣i<j≤f(j)<f(i) or f(j)<f(i)<i<j} B = \{(i, j) \mid i < j \le f(j) < f(i) \text{ or } f(j) < f(i) < i < j\}
C={(i,j)∣i<j≤f(i)<f(j) or f(i)<f(j)<i<j} C = \{(i, j) \mid i < j \le f(i) < f(j) \text{ or } f(i) < f(j) < i < j\}
D={(i,j)∣i<j and f(i)>f(j)} D = \{(i, j) \mid i < j \text{ and } f(i) > f(j)\}
Prove that ∣A∣+2∣B∣+∣C∣=∣D∣|A| + 2|B| + |C| = |D|, where ∣X∣|X| is the number of all elements in XX.

Solution

We use an induction by the number ∣D∣|D|: Firstly, if ∣D∣=0|D| = 0, ff is identity and A=B=C=∅A = B = C = \emptyset. So it holds for ∣D∣=0|D| = 0.

Next, assume that it holds that for all bijections with ∣D∣<k|D| < k for some positive integer kk. Given ff with ∣Df∣=k>0|D_f| = k > 0, there exists ii such that f(i)>f(i+1)f(i) > f(i+1). Define the function gg by
g(j)={f(i+1),if j=i,f(i),if j=i+1,f(j),otherwise. g(j) = \begin{cases} f(i+1), & \text{if } j = i, \\ f(i), & \text{if } j = i+1, \\ f(j), & \text{otherwise.} \end{cases}
We are able to define four set (Ag,Bg,Cg,Dg)(A_g, B_g, C_g, D_g) by the function gg. Since ∣Dg∣=∣D∣−1=k−1<k|D_g| = |D| - 1 = k - 1 < k, by the induction hypothesis, we have
∣Ag∣+2∣Bg∣+∣Cg∣=∣Dg∣.(5) |A_g| + 2|B_g| + |C_g| = |D_g|. \tag{5}
Now, we divide five cases:

i. If f(i+1)>if(i+1) > i and f(i)>i+1f(i) > i+1, then we have
(∣Af∣,∣Bf∣,∣Cf∣,∣Df∣)=(∣Ag∣,∣Bg∣+1,∣Cg∣−1,∣Dg∣+1). (|A_f|, |B_f|, |C_f|, |D_f|) = (|A_g|, |B_g| + 1, |C_g| - 1, |D_g| + 1).
ii. If f(i+1)=if(i+1) = i and f(i)>if(i) > i, then the property
∣{j∣j<i and i+1<f(j)}∣=∣{j∣f(j)<i and i+1<j}∣ |\{j \mid j < i \text{ and } i + 1 < f(j)\}| = |\{j \mid f(j) < i \text{ and } i + 1 < j\}|
yields
(∣Af∣,∣Bf∣,∣Cf∣,∣Df∣)=(∣Ag∣+1,∣Bg∣,∣Cg∣,∣Dg∣+1). (|A_f|, |B_f|, |C_f|, |D_f|) = (|A_g| + 1, |B_g|, |C_g|, |D_g| + 1).
iii. If f(i+1)<if(i+1) < i and f(i)>if(i) > i, then we have
(∣Af∣,∣Bf∣,∣Cf∣,∣Df∣)=(∣Ag∣,∣Bg∣,∣Cg∣+1,∣Dg∣+1) (|A_f|, |B_f|, |C_f|, |D_f|) = (|A_g|, |B_g|, |C_g| + 1, |D_g| + 1)
in the both of all cases f−1(i)<if^{-1}(i) < i and f−1(i)>if^{-1}(i) > i.
iv. If f(i+1)<if(i+1) < i and f(i)=if(i) = i, then the property
∣{j∣j<i and i+1<f(j)}∣=∣{j∣f(j)<i and i+1<j}∣+1 |\{j \mid j < i \text{ and } i + 1 < f(j)\}| = |\{j \mid f(j) < i \text{ and } i + 1 < j\}| + 1
yields
(∣Af∣,∣Bf∣,∣Cf∣,∣Df∣)=(∣Ag∣−1,∣Bg∣+1,∣Cg∣,∣Dg∣+1). (|A_f|, |B_f|, |C_f|, |D_f|) = (|A_g| - 1, |B_g| + 1, |C_g|, |D_g| + 1).
v. If f(i+1)<if(i+1) < i and f(i)<if(i) < i, then we have
(∣Af∣,∣Bf∣,∣Cf∣,∣Df∣)=(∣Ag∣,∣Bg∣+1,∣Cg∣−1,∣Dg∣+1). (|A_f|, |B_f|, |C_f|, |D_f|) = (|A_g|, |B_g| + 1, |C_g| - 1, |D_g| + 1).
Due to (5), the results above all cases complete the proof. □

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