On extremal cross $t$-intersecting families with $t$-covering number conditions

TL;DR

This paper characterizes the structure of extremal cross $t$-intersecting families of sets with specific covering number conditions, identifying those that maximize the product of their sizes.

Contribution

It provides a characterization of extremal structures of cross $t$-intersecting families with minimal covering numbers, extending understanding of their maximal configurations.

Findings

Identified extremal structures maximizing the product of sizes under covering number constraints.

Characterized maximal $t$-intersecting families with covering number exactly $t+1$.

Abstract

Let $n$, $k$ and $t$ be positive integers, and let $\mathcal{F}$ be a collection of $k$-subsets of $[n]=\{1,2,\dots,n\}$. The $t$-covering number $\tau_t(\mathcal{F})$ of $\mathcal{F}$ is defined as the minimum size of a set $T$ such that $|F\cap T|\geq t$ for all $F\in \mathcal{F}$. For positive integers $k_1$ and $k_2$, let $\mathcal{F}_i$ be a collection of $k_i$-subsets of $[n]$ for $i\in \{1,2\}$. The families $\mathcal{F}_1$ and $\mathcal{F}_2$ are said to be cross $t$-intersecting if $|F_1\cap F_2|\geq t$ for all $F_1\in\mathcal{F}_1$ and $F_2\in \mathcal{F}_2$. When $\mathcal{F}_1=\mathcal{F}_2$, $\mathcal{F}_1$ is called a $t$-intersecting family. In this paper, we first characterize the extremal structures of cross $t$-intersecting families $\mathcal{F}_1$ and $\mathcal{F}_2$ that maximize $|\mathcal{F}_1||\mathcal{F}_2|$ under the condition that $\tau_t(\mathcal{F}_1)\geq t+1$ and $\tau_t(\mathcal{F}_2)\geq t+1$. We then describe the maximal $t$-intersecting families with $t$-covering number $t+1$.