Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2021 / iii / Paper 130 / 3

A rational matrix is a partition regular matrix when every finite coloring of the positive integers admits a monochromatic positive vector in its kernel. Its columns have the columns property if their indices can be partitioned into ordered nonempty blocks $B_1,\dots ,B_s$ such that the columns in $B_1$ sum to zero and, for $j>1$, the sum over $B_j$ lies in the rational linear span of the columns in the earlier blocks. Rado's theorem states that a rational matrix is partition regular if and only if its columns have this property.

For one equation, clear denominators and writeThe one-row columns property is equivalent to the existence of a nonempty $I\subseteq [n]$ with

First suppose such an $I$ exists. Choose $i_0\in I$, put $c=|c_{i_0}|$, $C={\sum }_{j\notin I}{c}_j$, and choose $p\ge |C|$. The monochromatic m-p-c set theorem, whose finite induction proof uses the Van der Waerden theorem, gives positive $z_1,z_2$ for which all numbersare positive and have one color. SetThe middle coefficient is the integer $-C\mathrm{sgn}(c_{i_0})$, of absolute value at most $p$, so all the $x_i$ belong to the monochromatic set. Their $z_1$ contribution vanishes because the coefficients over $I$ sum to zero, and their $z_2$ contribution isThus the equation is partition regular.

Conversely, suppose no nonempty subset of the coefficients sums to zero. Choose a prime number $p$ that divides none of the finitely many nonzero subset sums. Color each positive integer by its last nonzero digit coloring in base $p$. If a monochromatic solution existed, let $v$ be the smallest P-adic valuation among its coordinates and let $I$ index the coordinates of valuation $v$. After division by $p^v$ and reduction modulo $p$, all $x_i$ with $i\in I$ have the same nonzero last digit $r$, while the other terms vanish. The equation would givecontrary to the choice of $p$. This proves the Rado theorem for one equation.

No. TakeThe full set of coefficients sums to zero, so the equation is partition regular by the Rado theorem for one equation. Every solution satisfieswhich can never be positive.

No. ConsiderEvery finite coloring of the positive integers has an infinite color class. Choose $x<y$ in that class with $y/x$ as large as needed. Assigning $y$ to the three positive-coefficient variables and $x$ to the negative-coefficient variable makes the linear formpositive. Reversing the assignments makes it $3x-4y<0$. Thus both strict-sign hypotheses hold in every finite coloring.

The nonempty subset sums of $1,1,1,-4$ are among $1,2,3,-1,-2,-3,-4$, so none is zero. The Rado theorem for one equation therefore says that this coefficient vector is not partition regular.