Intersecting integer partitions

preprint2013arXivOpen access

Abstract

If a1,a2,...,aka_1, a_2, ..., a_k and nn are positive integers such that n=a1+a2+...+akn = a_1 + a_2 + ... + a_k, then the sum a1+a2+...+aka_1 + a_2 + ... + a_k is said to be a \emph{partition of nn} of \emph{length kk}, and a1,a2,...,aka_1, a_2, ..., a_k are said to be the \emph{parts} of the partition. Two partitions that differ only in the order of their parts are considered to be the same. We say that two partitions \emph{intersect} if they have at least one common part. We call a set AA of partitions \emph{intersecting} if any two partitions in AA intersect. Let Pn,kP_{n,k} be the set of all partitions of nn of length kk. We conjecture that if 2≤k≤n2 \leq k \leq n, then the size of any intersecting subset of Pn,kP_{n,k} is at most the size of Pn−1,k−1P_{n-1,k-1}, which is the size of the intersecting subset of Pn,kP_{n,k} consisting of those partitions which have 1 as a part. The conjecture is trivially true for n≤2kn \leq 2k, and we prove it for n≥5k5n \geq 5k^5. We also generalise this for subsets of Pn,kP_{n,k} with the property that any two of their members have at least tt common parts.

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