Solution (source code)

= Solution

Use binary encoding $b(S)=\sum_{i\in S}2^{i-1}$ for <vertices> of the <hypercube graph>, and write $I_m=\{S:b(S)<m\}$. Let $e(\mathcal A)$ count <edges> with both endpoints in a family. The exact <edge-isoperimetric theorem for binary initial segments>, due to Harper, Lindsey, Bernstein and Hart, is
$$
\boxed{e(\mathcal A)\le e(I_m)=\sum_{j=0}^{m-1}s_2(j),\qquad m=|\mathcal A|,}
$$
where $s_2(j)$ is the number of ones in the binary expansion. Equivalently,
$$
\boxed{|\partial_e\mathcal A|\ge nm-2\sum_{j=0}^{m-1}s_2(j).}
$$
The equality for $I_m$ follows by assigning each internal edge to its larger endpoint: each one-bit of that endpoint can be cleared, giving an earlier endpoint still in $I_m$. This is the exact extremal statement, stronger than the logarithmic entropy bound.

We prove it by induction on $n$. The case $n=1$ follows by checking sizes zero, one and two. Fix a coordinate $i$ and delete it from the two sections $\mathcal A_0,\mathcal A_1$. The edge count splits as
$$
e(\mathcal A)=e(\mathcal A_0)+e(\mathcal A_1)+|\mathcal A_0\cap\mathcal A_1|.
$$
Replace each section by a <binary initial segment> of the same size. By induction its internal <edges> cannot decrease. The two replacement segments are nested, so their intersection size is the smaller section size, at least the previous intersection size. Thus this <section compression in binary order> cannot decrease $e(\mathcal A)$.

Repeatedly perform any nontrivial section compression. The sum $\sum_{S\in\mathcal A}b(S)$ strictly decreases each time: in a fixed section, the original numerical order is exactly the numerical order after deleting its fixed coordinate. This nonnegative integer potential ensures termination at a family compressed in every coordinate section.

Classify such a terminal family. If an absent vertex $S$ precedes a present vertex $T$, they cannot agree in any coordinate, because their common section is compressed and its earlier vertex would then have to be present. Hence $T=[n]\setminus S$. There can be no vertex strictly between them: if present, it would also have to be the complement of $S$; if absent, it would have to be the complement of $T$. Thus they are consecutive complementary binary integers, forcing
$$
b(S)=2^{n-1}-1,\qquad b(T)=2^{n-1}.
$$
No other inversion is possible for the same reason. Therefore a terminal family is either a <binary initial segment> or the sole exceptional form
$$
\bigl(\mathcal P([n-1])\setminus\{[n-1]\}\bigr)\cup\{\{n\}\}.
$$
This exception has size $2^{n-1}$. For $n\ge2$, compared with the half-cube $I_{2^{n-1}}$, it removes a vertex of internal degree $n-1$ and adds a vertex joined only to the retained empty set. Its edge count is thus $e(I_{2^{n-1}})-(n-1)+1\le e(I_{2^{n-1}})$. The $n=1$ case was already handled. Since compression never decreased <edges>, every original family has at most the <initial segment>'s edge count. This proves the theorem, including the exceptional terminal configuration rather than assuming all compressed families are <initial segments>.

For the remaining requests it is useful to obtain the <entropy proof of cube edge-isoperimetry>, including its equality cases. Inductively a family of size $m$ satisfies
$$
e(\mathcal A)\le\tfrac12m\log_2m.
$$
Indeed let the two sections have sizes $a\ge b\ge0$, $m=a+b>0$. Their internal <edges> are bounded inductively and the crossing <edges> are at most $b$, so
$$
\begin{aligned}
e(\mathcal A)&\le\tfrac12(a\log_2a+b\log_2b)+b\\
&=\tfrac12m\log_2m-\tfrac12mH_2(t)+mt,
\qquad t=b/m.
\end{aligned}
$$
Here $0\log_20=0$ and $H_2(t)=-t\log_2t-(1-t)\log_2(1-t)$ is the <binary entropy function>. Its concavity and its endpoint values at zero and one-half give $H_2(t)\ge2t$ for $0\le t\le1/2$. This proves the bound, starting from the zero-dimensional cube.

Define the <isoperimetric number of a graph> by
$$
i(G)=\min_{0<|A|\le|V(G)|/2}\frac{|\partial_eA|}{|A|}.
$$
Since every cube vertex has degree $n$, the internal-edge bound gives
$$
|\partial_eA|=n|A|-2e(A)\ge |A|\log_2\frac{2^n}{|A|}\ge|A|
$$
when $|A|\le2^{n-1}$. A coordinate half-cube has one crossing edge per vertex, attaining ratio one. Hence, for $n\ge1$,
$$
\boxed{i(Q_n)=1.}
$$

Now establish the <equality cases of entropy cube edge-isoperimetry>. Strict concavity of $H_2$ makes $H_2(t)>2t$ for $0<t<1/2$. Equality in the internal-edge bound therefore requires either one section to be empty, or two equal-size sections. In the equal-size case equality in the crossing bound forces the sections to coincide; each section must also attain its inductive internal-edge bound. Induction gives exactly <coordinate subcubes>: the empty-section case fixes the coordinate, and the coincident-section case frees it. Conversely every <coordinate subcube> attains that bound.

At size $m=2^{n-1}$, an <edge boundary> of size $m$ means $e(A)=\tfrac12m(n-1)=\tfrac12m\log_2m$, so these equality cases apply. The subcube has dimension $n-1$ and fixes precisely one coordinate. Therefore
$$
\boxed{A=\{x\in\{0,1\}^n:x_i=\epsilon\},\quad i\in[n],\ \epsilon\in\{0,1\}.}
$$
These \b[$2n$ coordinate half-cubes are the only extremizers] of the requested size.