There is at least one friend pair in a class of students with different names. Students in an ordered list of some of the students write the names of all their friends who are not currently written on the blackboard, in order. If each student on the list wrote at least one name on the board and the name of each student with at least one friend on the blackboard at the end of the process, call this list a $golden$ $ list$. Prove that there exists a $golden$ $ list$ such that number of students in this list is even.
Problem
Source: 2020 Turkey TST P5
Tags: combinatorics
14.04.2020 15:39
Bump~~~~
18.05.2020 19:22
Probably I've made some mistake, but I've found this solution... Take the usual graph interpretation of the problem and induct in the number $e$ of edges. The base case $e=1$ is trivial. For the inductive step, let $G$ be a graph with $e$ edges and let $v$ be a vertex of $G$, with degree at least 1, and let $\Gamma (v)$ be the friends of $v$. If $G'$ is the graph obtained by removing $v$ from $G$ and $G''$ is the graph obtained by removing $\Gamma (v)$ from $G'$ , then we have 2 cases: 1. If $G''$ is empty, simply put $v$ and $u\in \Gamma(v)$ in the golden list, in this order. 2. If $G''$ have at least 1 vertex, we partition $G''$ into connected components. Let $A$ be the set of connected components with at least 1 edge, $B$ be the set of connected components with 1 vertex, each of then connected with some vertex of $\Gamma (v)$, and let $C$ be the remaining vertices. Since the vertices in $C$ aren't connected with any vertex in $G$, we can simply ignore then, so we'll suppose that the vertices of $G''$ are only in $A$ or $B$. We have 2 more cases. 2.1. If $B$ is empty, then by hypothesis we have a golden list $L=v_1,...,v_{2k}$ to $G''$ with a even number of vertices (because $A$ isn't empty). To make a golden list to $G$ with the same property, simply put $v$, $v_1,...,v_{2k}$ and $u$, in this order ($u\in \Gamma(v)$). $v$ writes all $\Gamma(v)$ in the blackboard, each $v_i$ writes at least one vertex in $G''$ by hypothesis, and $u$ writes $v$. Therefore, in this case we're done. 2.2. Se $B$ isn't empty, let $w\in B$ and note that, in $G$, $w$ is connected with $u$ iff $u\in \Gamma(v)$. Now, by hypothesis, there's a golden list $L=v_1,...,v_{2k}$ to $G'$. Take $w\in B$ such that $w$ is the first one to appear on the blackboard if we follow the golden list $L$. Since $w$ was written on the blackboard, some $u\in \Gamma(v)$, friend of $w$, is in the golden list. But $u$ also write $v$ in his turn, so all the vertices of $G$ are in the blackboard if we follow $L$. Therefore, $L$ is a golden list to $G$, and we're done in this case, if there's no isolated vertex $t \in \Gamma(v)$ in $G'$, i.e., if $deg(t) = 1$ in $G$. For this case, we'll find another way to construct the golden list. 3. Let $\Gamma(v) = X \cup Y$, where $X$ is the set of vertices with degree 1 ($t\in X$) and $Y$ the set of vertices with degree at least 2. Clearly, every $w \in B$ is connected to some vertex $u \in Y$. Let $u_1, ...,u_p$ vertices in $Y$ such that, if we put then in the golden list, in this order, then every vertex in $B$ will appear on the blackboard (at least one of then appear in each step). Let $L=v_1,...,v_{2k}$ be the golden list to $A$. 3.1. If $p$ is odd, let the golden list to $G$ be $v,v_1,...,v_{2k},u_1,...,u_p$. It's easy to see that it works. 3.2. If $p$ is even, let the golden list to $G$ be $t, v, v_1, ...,v_{2k}, u_1, ..., u_p$. It's easy to see that it works. Therefore the problem is solved by induction.
29.04.2021 11:51
We will show friends of $x$ with set $S(x)$. Take a random student and call it $x$. Write it in the first place of golden list. Take a student from the group which is written on the blackboard by $x$ and write this student in the second place. Since this is taken from $S(x)$ we can write it down. If every student who has at least one friend is written on the blackboard then we are done. Assume contradiction and take a student $y$ and write it in the third place of golden list. In case we can write $y$ in the golden list we will continue to do the same thing. This is our algorithm: take a student $v$ which has not been written on the blackboard, write it down if you can and for the next place of golden list take a student which has just been written on blackboard by $v$. This will work unless we can't find a student $v$. Let's write until we can and because of pairing students in algorithm we will have students $s_1, s_2, ..., s_{2k}$ on golden list and we are stuck. Take student $u$ and we know that it is not written on blackboard, because of algorithm again. Thus we know we can take one friend of $u$ -let's call $w$- such that it can be written on golden list after $s_{2k}$ and any of $u$'s friends is not among $s_i$s. If we can create the golden list $u, s_1, s_2, ..., s_{2k}, w$; we will be done. Assume contradiction. We know $w$ can write $u$, so we do not need to worry about it. Take the smallest $i \in {1, 2, ..., 2k}$ such that $s_i$ cannot write a new friend after operation putting $u$. If $i=2m$, then that means $s_{2m}$ cannot write $s_{2m-1}$ on the blackboard, which means $u \in S(s_{2m-1})$. Contradiction. On the other hand, if $i=2m-1$, then due to the fact that $s_{2m} \in S(s_{2m-1})$, we can say $s_{2m} \in S(u)$ but at first we said that $u$ was not written by any of $s_i$s. Contradiction. Finally we created a new list and we are not stuck. Thus we can keep going until everyone who has at least one friend is written on the blackboard which gives us a golden list.
16.03.2022 11:26
Take the obvious graph interpretation. We proceed by induction on number of vertices. WLOG no vertex has degree 0. Pick a random vertex $u$ and consider the induced subgraph of $G\backslash (\{u\} \cup N(u))$ If this induced graph has no vertices of degree 0, we can start with the list for the graph, add u (which is okay because vertices in N(u) will be added) and a vertex in N(u) (which adds u) If the induced subgraph has a vertex of degree 0, call v. Note $N(v)\subseteq N(u)$ because $uv$ is not an edge or $v\in N(u)$ and after removing $N(u)$, $v$ has no neighbors. If $N(v)=N(u)$ I can consider $G'=G\backslash u$. A golden list for $G'$ is a golden list for $G$ because at least one neighbour of v is in the list, which adds u. Otherwise, if $N(v)\subseteq N(u)$ then consider a golden list with first vertex being u and another golden list starting with $u,v$. After these moves the set of vertices on the blackboard are the same, but these lists' lengths must have different parities.
19.04.2024 04:54
@CANBANKAN you said If this induced graph has no vertices of degree 0, we can start with the list for the graph, add u (which is okay because vertices in N(u) will be added) and a vertex in N(u) (which adds u) ofcourse you can write a vertice in N(u), but...can we really add u? if every vertice in N(u) have a friend in the golden list of G\u,N(u),then everyone in N(u) was written on the board before you write u,then u cannot be in the list,how can you solve this problem?
11.05.2024 20:33
@above You are right, but this has an easy fix since you can just take $u$ first, then the golden list for $G\backslash (\{u\} \cup N(u))$ and then the vertex from $N(u)$. See that this list satisfies.