One-factorization 2026-10-07
A one-factorization partitions every edge of a graph into perfect matchings. Each matching uses every vertex exactly once. A total of synthemes is precisely a one-factorization of the complete graph on six points.
A point is an element of . A duad is an unordered two-element subset. A syntheme is a partition of into three duads, and a total of synthemes is a collection of five synthemes whose duads partition all fifteen duads. In graph terms these are vertices, edges, perfect matchings and one-factorization of .
The first counts are , , and
synthemes. To count totals, first observe that two edge-disjoint synthemes have union a six-cycle. Its complement in is a triangular prism: two triangles on alternate cycle vertices, joined by the three remaining cross edges. Its perfect matchings are the matching using all three cross edges and three matchings using one cross edge each. The all-cross matching cannot be used in a factorization, because the remaining two odd triangles cannot be matched. The other three matchings partition the prism edges. Therefore every pair of disjoint synthemes extends to a unique total.
Fix a syntheme . Each of its three duads belongs to three synthemes. Inclusion-exclusion shows that synthemes share a duad with , including itself. Thus eight are disjoint from . A total containing uses four of these, and each disjoint syntheme determines exactly one such total. Hence belongs to totals. Counting incidences gives
Two different totals share at most one syntheme, by the unique-completion assertion. There are fifteen pairs of totals and fifteen synthemes each belonging to two totals; consequently each pair of totals has exactly one common syntheme. This incidence property drives the next construction.
Syntheme 2026-10-07
A syntheme partitions six points into three duads, equivalently a perfect matching of the complete graph. There are synthemes. Every duad belongs to three. Two edge-disjoint synthemes extend to a unique total of synthemes: their union is a six-cycle, whose complement has a unique factorization into three matchings.