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Bulgarian Mathematical Olympiad

Combinatorics Difficulty 6.3 National Olympiad Prove it Bulgaria

Problem:

Let m≥3m \geq 3 and n≥2n \geq 2 be integers. Prove that in a group of N=mn−n+1N = m n - n + 1 people such that there are two familiar people among any mm, there is a person who is familiar with nn people. Does the statement remain true if N<mn−n+1N < m n - n + 1?

Solution

Solution:

Consider a group with maximal number of people such that any two of them are not familiar. It is clear that if there are ll people in this group, then l≤m−1l \leq m-1. Moreover, the maximality of ll implies that any of the other N−lN-l people is familiar to at least one of the ll people in the group. Hence some of these ll people is familiar to at least N−ll\frac{N-l}{l} people. Since
N−ll=Nl−1≥Nm−1−1=n+1m−1−1>n−1 \frac{N-l}{l} = \frac{N}{l} - 1 \geq \frac{N}{m-1} - 1 = n + \frac{1}{m-1} - 1 > n-1
there is a person who is familiar to nn people.

Let N=mn−n=(m−1)nN = m n - n = (m-1) n and consider m−1m-1 groups by nn people such that any two people from one group are familiar and there are no familiar people from different groups. Then among any mm people there are two from one and the same group, i.e. they are familiar. On the other hand, any of the people is familiar to n−1n-1 of the other and hence the statement is not true if N<mn−n+1N < m n - n + 1.

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