 Solution

The Mayer–Vietoris sequence for $K=M\cup N$ is the long exact sequence in homologyWe use integer coefficients. A simplicial cycle $c$ in $K$ can be written $c=m+n$ with chains in $M,N$. Since $\partial m=-\partial n$, this chain lies in $M\cap N$ and is a cycle. Define ${\partial }_n[c]=[\partial m]$; changing the splitting or the cycle representative changes this by a boundary, giving a well-defined connecting homomorphism.

First consider two acyclic subcomplexes. Their intersection is either empty or acyclic. If empty, positive-degree homology of their disjoint union vanishes. If nonempty, the reduced Mayer–Vietoris sequence implies the same conclusion, including degree one since the intersection has zero reduced $H_0$. This proves the claim for two subcomplexes.

Inductively let $U=M_1\cup \cdots \cup M_{n-1}$, $V=M_n$, and $W=U\cap V={\bigcup }_{i<n}(M_i\cap M_n)$. Discard empty members as necessary. Both $U$ and $W$ satisfy the same intersection hypothesis with at most $n-1$ members, so their homology vanishes in degrees at least $n-2$. The exact segment $H_i(U)\oplus H_i(V)\to H_i(K)\to H_{i-1}(W)$ then gives $\boxed{H_i(K)=0\text{ for }i\ge n-1}$. For $n\ge 3$ these degrees are positive and the induction applies directly; empty $W$ again means a disjoint union.

For sharpness, take the boundary of an $(n-1)$-simplex, covered by its $n$ facets. Every nonempty proper intersection of facets is a simplex and thus has the homology of a point; the intersection of all facets is empty. The union is a sphere $S^{n-2}$ and $H_{n-2}$ is nonzero. For $n=2$ it is two isolated vertices and $H_0\cong {\mathbb{Z}}^2$; for $n\ge 3$, $H_{n-2}\cong \mathbb{Z}$. The degree bound cannot be lowered.