Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 130 3 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Let be the columns of the rational partition regular matrix , and clear denominators so that they are integer vectors. We use the P-adic columns lemma. For a large prime number , color each positive integer by a sufficiently long initial block of the unit part of its P-adic valuation, together with its valuation modulo the block length. Partition regularity supplies a monochromatic withGroup the indices according to the successive -adic orders of the . At the lowest order, division by the common power of and reduction modulo the chosen large power showsComparing the next nonzero blocks of base- digits shows successively thatFor completeness, these congruences may be made exact by taking the digit block longer than every determinant and coordinate formed from the fixed columns: a nonzero such integer cannot be divisible by the resulting power of . There are only finitely many ordered partitions of , so passing through arbitrarily long blocks leaves one partition satisfying all the displayed identities. This is precisely the columns property.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 130 3 b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Rado's theorem states that a rational matrix is partition regular if and only if it has the columns property. By hypothesis each is partition regular, so choose a columns partition for each one. Form the block-diagonal matrixTaking at stage the union of the th blocks from the individual partitions, with empty blocks added after a partition ends, gives the columns property for : each row block sees exactly the corresponding dependence for its . Hence is partition regular by Rado's theorem. A monochromatic vectorin the kernel of satisfies for every , and all entries of all the have the same color.
Rado's theorem Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Rado's theorem states that a rational matrix is partition regular if and only if it has the columns property.