English

The Threshold for Ackermannian Ramsey numbers

Combinatorics 2007-05-23 v1

Abstract

For a function g:NNg:\N\to \N, the \emph{gg-regressive Ramsey number} of kk is the least NN so that Nmin(k)gN\stackrel \min \longrightarrow (k)_g . This symbol means: for every c:[N]2Nc:[N]^2\to \N that satisfies c(m,n)g(min{m,n})c(m,n)\le g(\min\{m,n\}) there is a \emph{min-homogeneous} H\suNH\su N of size kk, that is, the color c(m,n)c(m,n) of a pair {m,n}\suH\{m,n\}\su H depends only on min{m,n}\min\{m,n\}. It is known (\cite{km,ks}) that \id\id-regressive Ramsey numbers grow in kk as fast as \Ack(k)\Ack(k), Ackermann's function in kk. On the other hand, for constant gg, the gg-regressive Ramsey numbers grow exponentially in kk, and are therefore primitive recursive in kk. We compute below the threshold in which gg-regressive Ramsey numbers cease to be primitive recursive and become Ackermannian, by proving: Suppose g:NNg:\N\to \N is weakly increasing. Then the gg-regressive Ramsey numbers are primitive recursive if an only if for every t>0t>0 there is some MtM_t so that for all nMtn\ge M_t it holds that g(m)<n1/tg(m)<n^{1/t} and MtM_t is bounded by a primitive recursive function in tt.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.math/0505086,
  title  = {The Threshold for Ackermannian Ramsey numbers},
  author = {Menachem Kojman and Eran Omri},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:math/0505086},
  year   = {2007}
}