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Title: New upper bounds for the Erdős-Gyárfás problem on generalized Ramsey numbers
Abstract A$$(p,q)$$-colouring of a graph$$G$$is an edge-colouring of$$G$$which assigns at least$$q$$colours to each$$p$$-clique. The problem of determining the minimum number of colours,$$f(n,p,q)$$, needed to give a$$(p,q)$$-colouring of the complete graph$$K_n$$is a natural generalization of the well-known problem of identifying the diagonal Ramsey numbers$$r_k(p)$$. The best-known general upper bound on$$f(n,p,q)$$was given by Erdős and Gyárfás in 1997 using a probabilistic argument. Since then, improved bounds in the cases where$$p=q$$have been obtained only for$$p\in \{4,5\}$$, each of which was proved by giving a deterministic construction which combined a$$(p,p-1)$$-colouring using few colours with an algebraic colouring. In this paper, we provide a framework for proving new upper bounds on$$f(n,p,p)$$in the style of these earlier constructions. We characterize all colourings of$$p$$-cliques with$$p-1$$colours which can appear in our modified version of the$$(p,p-1)$$-colouring of Conlon, Fox, Lee, and Sudakov. This allows us to greatly reduce the amount of case-checking required in identifying$$(p,p)$$-colourings, which would otherwise make this problem intractable for large values of$$p$$. In addition, we generalize our algebraic colouring from the$$p=5$$setting and use this to give improved upper bounds on$$f(n,6,6)$$and$$f(n,8,8)$$.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1839918
PAR ID:
10495673
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Publisher / Repository:
Cambridge University Press
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Combinatorics, Probability and Computing
Volume:
32
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0963-5483
Page Range / eLocation ID:
349 to 362
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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