Cross-intersecting non-empty uniform subfamilies of hereditary families

A set $A$ $t$-intersects a set $B$ if $A$ and $B$ have at least $t$ common elements. A set of sets is called a family. Two families $\mathcal{A}$ and $\mathcal{B}$ are cross-$t$-intersecting if each set in $\mathcal{A}$ $t$-intersects each set in $\mathcal{B}$. A family $\mathcal{H}$ is hereditary if for each set $A$ in $\mathcal{H}$, all the subsets of $A$ are in $\mathcal{H}$. The $r$th level of $\mathcal{H}$, denoted by $\mathcal{H}^{(r)}$, is the family of $r$-element sets in $\mathcal{H}$. A set $B$ in $\mathcal{H}$ is a base of $\mathcal{H}$ if for each set $A$ in $\mathcal{H}$, $B$ is not a proper subset of $A$. Let $\mu(\mathcal{H})$ denote the size of a smallest base of $\mathcal{H}$. We show that for any integers $t$, $r$, and $s$ with $1 \leq t \leq r \leq s$, there exists an integer $c(r,s,t)$ such that the following holds for any hereditary family $\mathcal{H}$ with $\mu(\mathcal{H}) \geq c(r,s,t)$. If $\mathcal{A}$ is a non-empty subfamily of $\mathcal{H}^{(r)}$, $\mathcal{B}$ is a non-empty subfamily of $\mathcal{H}^{(s)}$, $\mathcal{A}$ and $\mathcal{B}$ are cross-$t$-intersecting, and $|\mathcal{A}| + |\mathcal{B}|$ is maximum under the given conditions, then for some set $I$ in $\mathcal{H}$ with $t \leq |I| \leq r$, either $\mathcal{A} = \{A \in \mathcal{H}^{(r)} \colon I \subseteq A\}$ and $\mathcal{B} = \{B \in \mathcal{H}^{(s)} \colon |B \cap I| \geq t\}$, or $r = s$, $t < |I|$, $\mathcal{A} = \{A \in \mathcal{H}^{(r)} \colon |A \cap I| \geq t\}$, and $\mathcal{B} = \{B \in \mathcal{H}^{(s)} \colon I \subseteq B\}$. This was conjectured by the author for $t=1$ and generalizes well-known results for the case where $\mathcal{H}$ is a power set.Comment: 15 pages. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1805.0524

Cross-intersecting non-empty uniform subfamilies of hereditary families

Two families A and B of sets are cross-t-intersecting if each set in A intersects each set in B in at least t elements. A family H is hereditary if for each set A in H, all the subsets of A are in H. Let H(r) denote the family of r-element sets in H. We show that for any integers t, r, and s with 1 ≤ t ≤ r ≤ s, there exists an integer c(r, s, t) such that the following holds for any hereditary family H whose maximal sets are of size at least c(r, s, t). If A is a nonempty subfamily of H(r) , B is a non-empty subfamily of H(s) , A and B are cross-t-intersecting, and |A| + |B| is maximum under the given conditions, then for some set I in H with t ≤ |I| ≤ r, either A = {A ∈ H(r) : I ⊆ A} and B = {B ∈ H(s) : |B ∩ I| ≥ t}, or r = s, t < |I|, A = {A ∈ H(r) : |A ∩ I| ≥ t}, and B = {B ∈ H(s) : I ⊆ B}. We give c(r, s, t) explicitly. The result was conjectured by the author for t = 1 and generalizes well-known results for the case where H is a power set.peer-reviewe