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Research notes on every problem, and a library of the papers behind them. Built from the open erdos repository.

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Claim. For C=2C = 2, C=3C = 3, every C=2sC = 2^s and every $C = \tfrac12\binom{2s}{s}$, s=1,2,…s = 1, 2, \ldots, there is a set $A \subseteq \mathbb N$ in which every nn has at most CC representations n=x+yn = x + y with x,y∈Ax, y \in A, counted without regard to order and with x=yx = y counted once, and some nn has exactly CC, such that in every partition of AA into finitely many parts one part again has some nn with exactly CC representations. In every construction the CC representations of such an nn are sums of two distinct elements, so dropping the sums x+xx + x leaves at most CC representations of every nn and exactly CC at that nn: the same sets answer the corrected Statement of Problem 328, whose count ff takes only sums of two distinct elements. The answer to the corrected Statement is therefore no for these values of CC, whether or not tt may depend on AA. The constructions take n1<n2<⋯n_1 < n_2 < \cdots with $n_{i+1} \geq 4 n_i$, so that an integer is a sum of distinct nin_i in at most one way. For C=3C = 3 (Theorem 1), AA is the set of sums ni+njn_i + n_j with i≠ji \neq j: a sum of four distinct nin_i has exactly three representations, and a finite partition of AA colors the edges of the complete graph on the nin_i, in which Ramsey's theorem gives an infinite monochromatic complete subgraph, whose edge sums lie in one part. Theorem 1' treats the other values: for C=2C = 2 the sums ni+njn_i + n_j with i≢j(mod2)i \not\equiv j \pmod 2, where a finite coloring of an infinite complete bipartite graph has a monochromatic C4C_4; for C=2sC = 2^s the sums of s+1s + 1 of the nin_i whose indices form a complete residue system modulo s+1s + 1; and for C=12(2ss)C = \tfrac12\binom{2s}{s} the sums of ss distinct nin_i, with Ramsey's theorem for ss-tuples. The paper states the general conjecture, for every kk, that Nešetřil and Rödl proved (claim page), and its note added in proof records their proof. The source is P. Erdős, Some applications of Ramsey's theorem to additive number theory, European Journal of Combinatorics 1 (1980), no. 1, 43–46, whose source card is Erdős 1980; the issue is dated March 1980 without a day, so the page is named by the first of that month.

Covers. The values C=2C = 2, 33, 2s2^s and 12(2ss)\tfrac12\binom{2s}{s} for s≥1s \geq 1. The paper says its methods should apply to other values of kk but doubts that they work for every kk, and cannot settle k=5k = 5. Every integer C≥2C \geq 2 is Nešetřil and Rödl's, on their claim page.

Depends on. Nothing in this wiki: the constructions are the paper's own, resting on Ramsey's theorem.

Acceptance. Refereed: European Journal of Combinatorics 1 (1980), no. 1, 43–46, the DOI linked above. Reviewed is not listed. The site's label settles the problem, and its commentary credits the full answer to Nešetřil and Rödl. The commentary (page last edited 6 April 2026) credits this paper only with the earlier answer for C=3C = 3, 44 and infinitely many other values, and the problem lists no parts, so that credit is not acceptance. Theorem 1′ also covers C=2C = 2.