Do Inclusion-Exclusion and Pigeonhole Principles Apply to Overlapping Sets?

  • Thread starter Thread starter fiksx
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Principle Sets
fiksx
Messages
77
Reaction score
1
Homework Statement
If the proposition below is true, show this. If false, give a counterexample.
From the integers from 1 to 11, make 10 sets ##S_1,S_2, \dots, S_{10}## each with 4 integers selected. Within each sets, the same number shall not be chosen twice. No matter how ##S_1,S_2, \dots, S_{10}## is selected, two sets ##S_i,S_j## (i not equal to j) include two or more common integers.
Relevant Equations
Sets
Is this related to pigeon principle?
$$S_1=\{1,2,3,4\},$$
$$S_2=\{2,3,4,5\},$$
$$S_3=\{4,5,6,7\},$$
$$S_4=\{5,6,7,8\},$$
$$S_5=\{7,8,9,10\},$$
$$S_6=\{8,9,10,11\},$$
$$S_7=\{5,6,2,4\},$$
$$S_8=\{1,5,7,9\},$$
$$S_9=\{4,8,10,11\},$$
$$S_{10}=\{5,7,10,11\}$$

When we choose two of them, there is possibility there are same integer but not all ?
If this is related to pigeonhole principle or inclusion exclusion principle, Is there possibility that sets are hole and number 1-11 is pigeon but what is the relation with in each sets there are four number?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The language in your problem statement is ambiguous. It is not clear whether the proposition is:

##\exists i \neq j##: ##S_i## and ##S_j## have two or more common elements.

or

##\forall i \neq j##: ##S_i## and ##S_j## have two or more common elements.

Your sets clearly is a counter example to the second, but not to the first.
 
I also thought about that, but if it is like second, it is too obvious, but if it is like the first , how should i proof that? Is it use inclusion exclusion principle?
 

Similar threads

Back
Top