# Ramsey's theory inequality with $t$-subsets

Let $q_{1},\, q_{2}, \ldots, q_{k},t$ be positive integers, where $q_{1}\geq t, q_{2}\geq t, \ldots, q_{k}\geq t$. Let $m$ be the largest of $q_{1},q_{2}, \ldots, q_{k}$.

Show that $r_{t}(m,m,\ldots,m)\geq r_{t}(q_{1},q_{2}, \ldots,q_{k})$

Conclude that to prove Ramsey's theorem, it is enough to prove it in the case that $q_{1}=q_{2}= \ldots =q_{k}.$

If I understand correctly, the LHS means:

Assume we have $n$ objects and $k$ colors and we color subsets of $t$ elements. then if $n=r_{t}(m,m, \ldots, m)$ means that there must be $m$ such subsets of the same color. Am I right? Any help is apreciated.

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Here's one way to look at it:

Let $r_1:=r_t(m,m,\cdots m)$ and $r_2=r_t(q_1,q_2,\cdots q_k)$.

If we $k$-color the $t$-order subsets of $\{1,2,\cdots r_1\}$ then by the definition of $r_1$ we are guaranteed that a $m$-order subset of $\{1,2,\cdots r_1\}$ exists such that its $t$-order subsets will all be of the same color (say color $i$).

Clearly, then since $m\ge q_i$ any $q_i$ elements in that $m$-subset constitute a $q_i$-order subset of $\{1,2,\cdots r_1\}$ such that its $t$-order subsets are all of the same color. In this way we see that for any coloring of the first $r_1$ numbers, there is such a subset for some $i$. Define this property as property $R$. Hence $r_1$ satisfies property $R$. By definition $r_2$ is the least such positive number so that property $R$ holds, and hence we have $r_2\le r_1$.

Note that we do not use the fact that $m=max\{q_1,\cdots q_k\}$; we only require the weaker condition that $m\ge q_i\forall i$.

Now by the well ordering principle if one could show that there is a non-empty subset of $\mathbb{N}$ satisfying property $R$, then it will have a least element. So it is required to prove only the existence of $r_1$ to establish the existence of $r_2$. Further, once we have established that numbers of the kind $r_1$ (call them diagonal ramsey numbers) exist, the proof shows that any $r_t(q_1,\cdots q_k)$ exists. So the existence of all diagonal numbers, i.e. the case when all arguments are equal, is the only thing that requires a proof.

For another interpretation of the statement of Ramsey's theorem through hypergraphs and a proof for the diagonal case see my blog post here.

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