Problem

Source: China TST 2003

Tags: function, combinatorics unsolved, combinatorics



Let $A= \{a_1,a_2, \cdots, a_n \}$ and $B=\{b_1,b_2 \cdots, b_n \}$ be two positive integer sets and $|A \cap B|=1$. $C= \{ \text{all the 2-element subsets of A} \} \cup \{ \text{all the 2-element subsets of B} \}$. Function $f: A \cup B \to \{ 0, 1, 2, \cdots 2 C_n^2 \}$ is injective. For any $\{x,y\} \in C$, denote $|f(x)-f(y)|$ as the $\textsl{mark}$ of $\{x,y\}$. If $n \geq 6$, prove that at least two elements in $C$ have the same $\textsl{mark}$.