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Combinatorics Difficulty 7.2 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it China

Given X={1,2,,100}X = \{1, 2, \dots, 100\}, consider function f:XXf: X \to X satisfying both the following conditions:
(1) f(x)xf(x) \neq x for all xXx \in X;
(2) Af(A)A \cap f(A) \neq \emptyset for all AXA \subseteq X with A=40|A| = 40.

Find the smallest positive integer kk, such that for any such function ff there exists a set BXB \subseteq X satisfying B=k|B| = k and Bf(B)=XB \cup f(B) = X.
Remark. For a subset TT of XX, we define f(T)={xthere exists tT such that x=f(t)}f(T) = \{x \mid \text{there exists } t \in T \text{ such that } x = f(t)\}.

Solution

First, we define a function f:XXf: X \to X with
f(3i2)=3i1,f(3i1)=3i,f(3i)=3i2,i=1,2,,30,f(j)=100,91j99,f(100)=99. \begin{aligned} f(3i - 2) &= 3i - 1, \quad f(3i - 1) = 3i, \quad f(3i) = 3i - 2, \\ i &= 1, 2, \dots, 30, \\ f(j) &= 100, \quad 91 \le j \le 99, \quad f(100) = 99.\end{aligned}
Obviously, ff satisfies condition (1). For any AXA \subseteq X with A=40|A| = 40, if
(i) there exists an integer ii with 1i301 \le i \le 30 such that A{3i2,3i1,3i}2|A \cap \{3i-2, 3i-1, 3i\}| \ge 2, then Af(A)A \cap f(A) \ne \emptyset; or
(ii) 91,92,,100A91, 92, \dots, 100 \in A, then Af(A)A \cap f(A) \ne \emptyset also holds.
In both cases, ff satisfies condition (2). If a subset BB of XX satisfies f(B)B=Xf(B) \cup B = X, then we have B{3i2,3i1,3i}2|B \cap \{3i-2, 3i-1, 3i\}| \ge 2 for all 1i301 \le i \le 30, {91,92,,98}B\{91, 92, \dots, 98\} \subseteq B, and B{99,100}B \cap \{99, 100\} \ne \emptyset. Hence, B69|B| \ge 69.

Next, we will show that, for any function ff satisfying the described conditions, there exists a subset BXB \subseteq X with B69|B| \le 69 such that f(B)B=Xf(B) \cup B = X.

Among all the subsets UXU \subseteq X with Uf(U)=U \cap f(U) = \emptyset, choose one such that U|U| is maximal. If there are many UXU \subseteq X with U|U| being maximal, choose one such that f(U)|f(U)| is maximal. The existence of UU is guaranteed by condition (1). Let V=f(U)V = f(U), W=X(UV)W = X \setminus (U \cup V). Note that U,V,WU, V, W are pairwise disjoint and X=UVWX = U \cup V \cup W. From condition (2), U39|U| \le 39, V39|V| \le 39, W22|W| \ge 22.

We make the following assertions:
(i) f(w)Uf(w) \in U, for all wWw \in W. Otherwise, let U=U{w}U' = U \cup \{w\}, since f(U)=Vf(U) = V, f(w)Uf(w) \notin U, f(w)wf(w) \ne w, we have Uf(U)=U' \cap f(U') = \emptyset. It is a contradiction to U|U| being maximal.
(ii) f(w1)f(w2)f(w_1) \ne f(w_2) for all w1,w2Ww_1, w_2 \in W, w1w2w_1 \ne w_2. Otherwise, let u=f(w1)=f(w2)u = f(w_1) = f(w_2) then by condition (1), uUu \in U. Let U=(U{u}){w1,w2}U' = (U \setminus \{u\}) \cup \{w_1, w_2\}, since f(U)V{u}f(U') \subseteq V \cup \{u\}, U(V{u})=U' \cap (V \cup \{u\}) = \emptyset, we have Uf(U)=U' \cap f(U') = \emptyset. It is a contradiction to U|U| being maximal.

Let W={w1,w2,,wm}W = \{w_1, w_2, \dots, w_m\}, ui=f(wi)u_i = f(w_i), 1im1 \le i \le m then by (i) and (ii), u1,u2,,umu_1, u_2, \dots, u_m are distinct elements of UU.
(iii) f(ui)f(uj)f(u_i) \ne f(u_j) for all 1i<jm1 \le i < j \le m. Otherwise, let v=f(ui)=f(uj)Vv = f(u_i) = f(u_j) \in V, U=(U{ui}){wi}U' = (U \setminus \{u_i\}) \cup \{w_i\}, then f(U)=V{ui}f(U') = V \cup \{u_i\}, Uf(U)=U' \cap f(U') = \emptyset. However, f(U)>f(U)|f(U')| > |f(U)|. It is a contradiction to f(U)|f(U)| being maximal.

Therefore, f(u1),f(u2),,f(um)f(u_1), f(u_2), \dots, f(u_m) are distinct elements of VV. In particular, VW|V| \ge |W|. As U39|U| \le 39, we have V+W61|V| + |W| \ge 61 and V31|V| \ge 31. Let B=UWB = U \cup W, then B69|B| \le 69 and f(B)BVB=Xf(B) \cup B \supseteq V \cup B = X. Overall, the desired smallest integer kk is 69. \square

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