We are labelling some subsets from set $\{1,2…,100\}$. Prove that…

combinatoricscontest-mathgraph theorysolution-verification

Let $S = \{1, 2, 3, …, 100\}$ and $P$ is the collection of all subset $T$ of $S$ that have $49$ elements, or in other words: $$P = \{T \subset S : |T| = 49\}.$$ Every element of $P$ is labelled by the element of $S$ randomly (the labels may be the same). Show that there exist subset $M$ of $S$ that has $50$ members such that for every $x \in M$, the label of $M -\{x\}$ is not equal to $x$

This problem, from USAMO 1988 and Indonesia IMO TST 2008, seems to me very easy so I need proof verification.

Edit: The following ''proof'' is wrong as Especially Lime pointed out.

Proof: Suppose it is not true. Then there exists such labelling that for each $M$ there exists $m\in M$ such that labeling of $M -\{m\}$ is $m$. We make a bipartite graph, one side with subsets $M$ of $S$ with power $50$ and the other is set $S$ it self. We connect $M$ with $s\in S$ iff labelling $M -\{s\}$ is $s$.

By assumption, every $M$ has degree at least $1$, and every element $s$ in $S$ has degree at most ${99\choose 49}$, so we have $${100\choose 50}\cdot 1\leq 100\cdot {99\choose 49}\implies 51\leq 50,$$
a contradiction.

Best Answer

Your final simplification is incorrect; $\binom{100}{50}\cdot 1=\frac{100}{50}\cdot\binom{99}{49}$, so the penultimate inequality is true.

This method couldn't possibly be sufficient since you haven't yet used the fact that each set only has one label. (Your solution so far would still apply if multiple labels are allowed and you have an edge if any one of the labels of $M-s$ is $s$, when the result clearly isn't true.)

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