Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 109 2 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Encode each point by a partial binary sequence of length : coordinate is fixed to zero if , fixed to one if , and unrestricted otherwise. Disjointness makes these prescriptions consistent. Let be the number of fixed coordinates, equivalently the number of pairs containing , and let be the set of complete sequences consistent with them. Then .
The separating family of disjoint set pairs ensures that and are disjoint whenever : one coordinate prescribes opposite bits. Counting the sequences in these disjoint subcubes gives the disjoint subcube packing inequalitySince is a convex function, Jensen inequality impliesTaking logarithms yields . Therefore, for ,The PDF omits the qualification . For , it follows from feasibility: separation requires positive total incidence, so the stated incidence bound cannot hold with . For , separation is vacuous, and makes the printed quotient undefined; the intended parameter range is .
Separating family of disjoint set pairs 2026-10-05
A family of pairs of disjoint subsets of a finite set separates its points if each two distinct points lie on opposite sides of at least one pair. Empty sides are allowed by this definition. Let count pairs containing . Associate to the subcube of fixing coordinate to zero on and one on . Separation makes these subcubes disjoint and yields the disjoint subcube packing inequality.