Combinatorics (Fall 2010)/Extremal set theory II

Sauer's lemma and VC-dimension

Definition

Let [math]\displaystyle{ \mathcal{F}\subseteq 2^X }[/math] be set family and let [math]\displaystyle{ R\subseteq X }[/math] be a subset. The restriction of [math]\displaystyle{ \mathcal{F} }[/math] on [math]\displaystyle{ R }[/math], denoted [math]\displaystyle{ \mathcal{F}|_R }[/math] is defined as [math]\displaystyle{ \mathcal{F}|_R=\{S\cap R\mid S\in\mathcal{F}\} }[/math]. We say that [math]\displaystyle{ \mathcal{F} }[/math] shatters [math]\displaystyle{ R }[/math] if [math]\displaystyle{ \mathcal{F}|_R=2^R }[/math], i.e. for all [math]\displaystyle{ T\subseteq R }[/math], there exists an [math]\displaystyle{ S\in\mathcal{F} }[/math] such that [math]\displaystyle{ T=S\cap R }[/math].

Sauer's Lemma (Sauer; Shelah-Perles; Vapnik-Chervonenkis)

Let [math]\displaystyle{ \mathcal{F}\subseteq 2^X }[/math] where [math]\displaystyle{ |X|=n }[/math]. If [math]\displaystyle{ |\mathcal{F}|\gt \sum_{1\le i\lt k}{n\choose i} }[/math], then there exists an [math]\displaystyle{ R\in{X\choose k} }[/math] such that [math]\displaystyle{ \mathcal{F} }[/math] shatters [math]\displaystyle{ R }[/math].

Definition (VC-dimension)

The Vapnik–Chervonenkis dimension (VC-dimension) of a set family [math]\displaystyle{ \mathcal{F}\subseteq 2^X }[/math], denoted [math]\displaystyle{ \text{VC-dim}(\mathcal{F}) }[/math], is the size of the largest [math]\displaystyle{ R\subseteq X }[/math] shattered by [math]\displaystyle{ \mathcal{F} }[/math].

The Kruskal–Katona Theorem

Theorem (Kruskal 1963, Katona 1966)

Let [math]\displaystyle{ \mathcal{F}\subseteq {X\choose k} }[/math] with [math]\displaystyle{ |\mathcal{F}|=m }[/math], and suppose that [math]\displaystyle{ m={m_k\choose k}+{m_{k-1}\choose k-1}+\cdots+{m_t\choose t} }[/math] where [math]\displaystyle{ m_k\gt m_{k-1}\gt \cdots\gt m_t\ge t\ge 1 }[/math]. Then [math]\displaystyle{ |\Delta\mathcal{F}|\ge {m_k\choose k-1}+{m_{k-1}\choose k-2}+\cdots+{m_t\choose t-1} }[/math].