English

Group Marriage Problem

Combinatorics 2009-12-23 v1

Abstract

Let GG be a permutation group acting on [n]={1,...,n}[n]=\{1, ..., n\} and V={Vi:i=1,...,n}\mathcal{V}=\{V_{i}: i=1, ..., n\} be a system of nn subsets of [n][n]. When is there an element gGg \in G so that g(i)Vig(i) \in V_{i} for each i[n]i \in [n]? If such gg exists, we say that GG has a GG-marriage subject to V\mathcal{V}. An obvious necessary condition is the {\it orbit condition}: for any Y[n]\emptyset \not = Y \subseteq [n], yYVyYg={g(y):yY}\bigcup_{y \in Y} V_{y} \supseteq Y^{g}=\{g(y): y \in Y \} for some gGg \in G. Keevash (J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 111(2005), 289--309) observed that the orbit condition is sufficient when GG is the symmetric group \Sym([n])\Sym([n]); this is in fact equivalent to the celebrated Hall's Marriage Theorem. We prove that the orbit condition is sufficient if and only if GG is a direct product of symmetric groups. We extend the notion of orbit condition to that of kk-orbit condition and prove that if GG is the alternating group \Alt([n])\Alt([n]) or the cyclic group CnC_{n} where n4n \ge 4, then GG satisfies the (n1)(n-1)-orbit condition subject to \V\V if and only if GG has a GG-marriage subject to V\mathcal{V}.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0912.4443,
  title  = {Group Marriage Problem},
  author = {Cheng Yeaw Ku and Kok Bin Wong},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0912.4443},
  year   = {2009}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-21T14:27:21.922Z