Maximum cardinality of a set of subsets












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Let $N$ be a system of subsets of the set $X = {1,2,3,cdots ,n }$ such that there are no three elements $A,B,C in N$ such that $A subset B subset C$. Prove that $$|N| leq 2 cdot {{n}choose{ lfloor n/2 rfloor}}. $$




I have thought about the fact that a semi-independent system of subsets can have at most two elements in common with any chain from $(mathcal{P}(X), subseteq),$ but I do not know how to continue using Sperner's theorem.










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    Let $N$ be a system of subsets of the set $X = {1,2,3,cdots ,n }$ such that there are no three elements $A,B,C in N$ such that $A subset B subset C$. Prove that $$|N| leq 2 cdot {{n}choose{ lfloor n/2 rfloor}}. $$




    I have thought about the fact that a semi-independent system of subsets can have at most two elements in common with any chain from $(mathcal{P}(X), subseteq),$ but I do not know how to continue using Sperner's theorem.










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      $begingroup$



      Let $N$ be a system of subsets of the set $X = {1,2,3,cdots ,n }$ such that there are no three elements $A,B,C in N$ such that $A subset B subset C$. Prove that $$|N| leq 2 cdot {{n}choose{ lfloor n/2 rfloor}}. $$




      I have thought about the fact that a semi-independent system of subsets can have at most two elements in common with any chain from $(mathcal{P}(X), subseteq),$ but I do not know how to continue using Sperner's theorem.










      share|cite|improve this question











      $endgroup$





      Let $N$ be a system of subsets of the set $X = {1,2,3,cdots ,n }$ such that there are no three elements $A,B,C in N$ such that $A subset B subset C$. Prove that $$|N| leq 2 cdot {{n}choose{ lfloor n/2 rfloor}}. $$




      I have thought about the fact that a semi-independent system of subsets can have at most two elements in common with any chain from $(mathcal{P}(X), subseteq),$ but I do not know how to continue using Sperner's theorem.







      combinatorics discrete-mathematics order-theory extremal-combinatorics






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      edited Jan 12 at 22:33

























      asked Jan 12 at 17:49







      user606835





























          2 Answers
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          $begingroup$

          Let $mathcal{M}$ be the family of all maximal chains. (We call a chain ${varnothingsubsetneq A_1subsetneq A_2subsetneqcdots subsetneq A_n=X}subset 2^X$ of length $n+1$ as a maximal chain.) Define
          $$
          Q=sum_{Min mathcal{M}}sum_{Ain N} 1_{Ain M}
          $$
          where $1_{Ain M}=1$ if $Ain M$ and is $0$ otherwise. Since for every maximal chain $Minmathcal{M}$, there are at most $2$ distinct $Ain N$ such that $Ain M$, we have
          $$
          Qlesum_{Min mathcal{M}}2=2|mathcal{M}|=2cdot n!.
          $$
          On the other hand, we have
          $$
          Q=sum_{Ain N}sum_{Min mathcal{M}}1_{Ain M}=sum_{Ain N}|A|!(n-|A|)!
          $$
          since the number of maximal chains containing $A$ is $|A|!(n-|A|)!$. Note that $j!(n-j)!$ is minimized when $j=lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor$. Thus, we have
          $$
          Q= sum_{Ain N}|A|!(n-|A|)!ge lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!|N|
          $$
          Gathering them together, we get
          $$
          lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!|N|le 2cdot n!
          $$
          or
          $$
          |N|le 2cdot frac{n!}{lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!}=2cdot binom{n}{lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor},
          $$
          as desired.






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            $begingroup$

            If $X$ does not contain a $3$-elament chain $Asubset Bsubset C$, then $X$ is the union of two antichains. Namely, the set of all minimal elements of $X$ is an antichain, and the set of all non-minimal elements of $X$ is another antichain. By Sperner's theorem, an antichain of subsets of ${1,2,3,dots,n}$ has at most $binom n{lfloor n/2rfloor}$ elements, so your set $X$ has at most twice that many elements.






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              2 Answers
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              $begingroup$

              Let $mathcal{M}$ be the family of all maximal chains. (We call a chain ${varnothingsubsetneq A_1subsetneq A_2subsetneqcdots subsetneq A_n=X}subset 2^X$ of length $n+1$ as a maximal chain.) Define
              $$
              Q=sum_{Min mathcal{M}}sum_{Ain N} 1_{Ain M}
              $$
              where $1_{Ain M}=1$ if $Ain M$ and is $0$ otherwise. Since for every maximal chain $Minmathcal{M}$, there are at most $2$ distinct $Ain N$ such that $Ain M$, we have
              $$
              Qlesum_{Min mathcal{M}}2=2|mathcal{M}|=2cdot n!.
              $$
              On the other hand, we have
              $$
              Q=sum_{Ain N}sum_{Min mathcal{M}}1_{Ain M}=sum_{Ain N}|A|!(n-|A|)!
              $$
              since the number of maximal chains containing $A$ is $|A|!(n-|A|)!$. Note that $j!(n-j)!$ is minimized when $j=lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor$. Thus, we have
              $$
              Q= sum_{Ain N}|A|!(n-|A|)!ge lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!|N|
              $$
              Gathering them together, we get
              $$
              lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!|N|le 2cdot n!
              $$
              or
              $$
              |N|le 2cdot frac{n!}{lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!}=2cdot binom{n}{lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor},
              $$
              as desired.






              share|cite|improve this answer











              $endgroup$


















                0












                $begingroup$

                Let $mathcal{M}$ be the family of all maximal chains. (We call a chain ${varnothingsubsetneq A_1subsetneq A_2subsetneqcdots subsetneq A_n=X}subset 2^X$ of length $n+1$ as a maximal chain.) Define
                $$
                Q=sum_{Min mathcal{M}}sum_{Ain N} 1_{Ain M}
                $$
                where $1_{Ain M}=1$ if $Ain M$ and is $0$ otherwise. Since for every maximal chain $Minmathcal{M}$, there are at most $2$ distinct $Ain N$ such that $Ain M$, we have
                $$
                Qlesum_{Min mathcal{M}}2=2|mathcal{M}|=2cdot n!.
                $$
                On the other hand, we have
                $$
                Q=sum_{Ain N}sum_{Min mathcal{M}}1_{Ain M}=sum_{Ain N}|A|!(n-|A|)!
                $$
                since the number of maximal chains containing $A$ is $|A|!(n-|A|)!$. Note that $j!(n-j)!$ is minimized when $j=lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor$. Thus, we have
                $$
                Q= sum_{Ain N}|A|!(n-|A|)!ge lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!|N|
                $$
                Gathering them together, we get
                $$
                lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!|N|le 2cdot n!
                $$
                or
                $$
                |N|le 2cdot frac{n!}{lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!}=2cdot binom{n}{lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor},
                $$
                as desired.






                share|cite|improve this answer











                $endgroup$
















                  0












                  0








                  0





                  $begingroup$

                  Let $mathcal{M}$ be the family of all maximal chains. (We call a chain ${varnothingsubsetneq A_1subsetneq A_2subsetneqcdots subsetneq A_n=X}subset 2^X$ of length $n+1$ as a maximal chain.) Define
                  $$
                  Q=sum_{Min mathcal{M}}sum_{Ain N} 1_{Ain M}
                  $$
                  where $1_{Ain M}=1$ if $Ain M$ and is $0$ otherwise. Since for every maximal chain $Minmathcal{M}$, there are at most $2$ distinct $Ain N$ such that $Ain M$, we have
                  $$
                  Qlesum_{Min mathcal{M}}2=2|mathcal{M}|=2cdot n!.
                  $$
                  On the other hand, we have
                  $$
                  Q=sum_{Ain N}sum_{Min mathcal{M}}1_{Ain M}=sum_{Ain N}|A|!(n-|A|)!
                  $$
                  since the number of maximal chains containing $A$ is $|A|!(n-|A|)!$. Note that $j!(n-j)!$ is minimized when $j=lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor$. Thus, we have
                  $$
                  Q= sum_{Ain N}|A|!(n-|A|)!ge lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!|N|
                  $$
                  Gathering them together, we get
                  $$
                  lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!|N|le 2cdot n!
                  $$
                  or
                  $$
                  |N|le 2cdot frac{n!}{lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!}=2cdot binom{n}{lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor},
                  $$
                  as desired.






                  share|cite|improve this answer











                  $endgroup$



                  Let $mathcal{M}$ be the family of all maximal chains. (We call a chain ${varnothingsubsetneq A_1subsetneq A_2subsetneqcdots subsetneq A_n=X}subset 2^X$ of length $n+1$ as a maximal chain.) Define
                  $$
                  Q=sum_{Min mathcal{M}}sum_{Ain N} 1_{Ain M}
                  $$
                  where $1_{Ain M}=1$ if $Ain M$ and is $0$ otherwise. Since for every maximal chain $Minmathcal{M}$, there are at most $2$ distinct $Ain N$ such that $Ain M$, we have
                  $$
                  Qlesum_{Min mathcal{M}}2=2|mathcal{M}|=2cdot n!.
                  $$
                  On the other hand, we have
                  $$
                  Q=sum_{Ain N}sum_{Min mathcal{M}}1_{Ain M}=sum_{Ain N}|A|!(n-|A|)!
                  $$
                  since the number of maximal chains containing $A$ is $|A|!(n-|A|)!$. Note that $j!(n-j)!$ is minimized when $j=lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor$. Thus, we have
                  $$
                  Q= sum_{Ain N}|A|!(n-|A|)!ge lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!|N|
                  $$
                  Gathering them together, we get
                  $$
                  lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!|N|le 2cdot n!
                  $$
                  or
                  $$
                  |N|le 2cdot frac{n!}{lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor!left(n-lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloorright)!}=2cdot binom{n}{lfloor frac{n}{2}rfloor},
                  $$
                  as desired.







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                  edited Jan 12 at 18:50

























                  answered Jan 12 at 18:09









                  SongSong

                  12.5k631




                  12.5k631























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                      $begingroup$

                      If $X$ does not contain a $3$-elament chain $Asubset Bsubset C$, then $X$ is the union of two antichains. Namely, the set of all minimal elements of $X$ is an antichain, and the set of all non-minimal elements of $X$ is another antichain. By Sperner's theorem, an antichain of subsets of ${1,2,3,dots,n}$ has at most $binom n{lfloor n/2rfloor}$ elements, so your set $X$ has at most twice that many elements.






                      share|cite|improve this answer









                      $endgroup$


















                        1












                        $begingroup$

                        If $X$ does not contain a $3$-elament chain $Asubset Bsubset C$, then $X$ is the union of two antichains. Namely, the set of all minimal elements of $X$ is an antichain, and the set of all non-minimal elements of $X$ is another antichain. By Sperner's theorem, an antichain of subsets of ${1,2,3,dots,n}$ has at most $binom n{lfloor n/2rfloor}$ elements, so your set $X$ has at most twice that many elements.






                        share|cite|improve this answer









                        $endgroup$
















                          1












                          1








                          1





                          $begingroup$

                          If $X$ does not contain a $3$-elament chain $Asubset Bsubset C$, then $X$ is the union of two antichains. Namely, the set of all minimal elements of $X$ is an antichain, and the set of all non-minimal elements of $X$ is another antichain. By Sperner's theorem, an antichain of subsets of ${1,2,3,dots,n}$ has at most $binom n{lfloor n/2rfloor}$ elements, so your set $X$ has at most twice that many elements.






                          share|cite|improve this answer









                          $endgroup$



                          If $X$ does not contain a $3$-elament chain $Asubset Bsubset C$, then $X$ is the union of two antichains. Namely, the set of all minimal elements of $X$ is an antichain, and the set of all non-minimal elements of $X$ is another antichain. By Sperner's theorem, an antichain of subsets of ${1,2,3,dots,n}$ has at most $binom n{lfloor n/2rfloor}$ elements, so your set $X$ has at most twice that many elements.







                          share|cite|improve this answer












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                          answered Jan 13 at 3:16









                          bofbof

                          51.7k558120




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