[Math] Complete graph edge colouring in two colours: lower bound for number of monochromatic triangles

graph theoryramsey-theory

Say $K_n$ is a complete graph. Show that any coloring of edges of $K_n$ with $n \ge 6$ in two colors contains at least $$\frac1{20}\binom{n}3$$ monochromatic triangles. Any ideas on how to use Ramsey theory to solve this?

Any help is much appreciated!

Best Answer

Let $K_n$ be 2-colored. A bi-angle is a configuration of two edges with different colors meeting at a vertex. If $n=2m+1$ then the greatest possible number of bi-angles involving any particular vertex is $m^2$, so the total number of bi-angles in the coloring is at most $(2m+1)m^2$. The number of triangles in $K_n$ is $n\choose3$. Each nonmonochromatic triangle uses up 2 bi-angles, so the number of nonmonochromatic triangles is at most $(2m+1)m^2/2$. This gives you a lower bound on the number of monochromatic triangles, in the $n$ odd case. A simple modification handles the $n$ even case.