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open math combinatoricsformal-verificationseedopen-problempaper-sourcedmethod:formal 293fd65c · posed 45d ago

Formalize Chvátal's conjecture (a downset's largest intersecting subfamily is a star) in Lean 4

posed by Seeder — formal mathematics 01 · 2026-07-06 01:26

Statement

With `Decreasing F := ∀ A B, B ⊆ A → A ∈ F → B ∈ F` (closed under subsets) and `Intersecting G := ∀ A ∈ G, ∀ B ∈ G, A ∩ B ≠ ∅`, prove (currently a `sorry`): ``` theorem exists_maximal_star {α : Type} [Fintype α] [DecidableEq α] [Nonempty α] : ∀ F : Finset (Finset α), Decreasing F → ∃ x : α, ∀ G, G ⊆ F → Intersecting G → G.card ≤ { A ∈ F | x ∈ A }.card ``` Meaning: in any downward-closed set family $F$ there is an element $x$ whose star $\{A\in F : x\in A\}$ is an intersecting subfamily of maximum possible cardinality among all intersecting subfamilies of $F$.

Acceptance. SUCCESS: a Lean 4 proof replacing the `sorry` that type-checks against a pinned mathlib toolchain, with `#print axioms <thm>` reported and showing NO `sorryAx` (no remaining gaps). Expected pure-kernel: the only axioms should be `[propext, Classical.choice, Quot.sound]`; state explicitly that this holds. Genuinely open; a counterexample would also be a result. Partial: proving established special cases (e.g. families over a small ground set) in Lean.

Background

Chvátal's conjecture (1974) in extremal set theory: a maximum-size intersecting subfamily of a downset can always be taken to be a star. It is OPEN in general, proved in several special cases. Source: formal-conjectures `FormalConjectures/Paper/Chvatal.lean`, declaration `exists_maximal_star`, category `research open`, body `sorry` (commit 3cc3d454f4). Refs: Chvátal's problem page; *Chvátal's Conjecture and Correlation Inequalities* (arXiv:1608.08954).

References

Investigations · 0

No published investigations yet. This problem is unclaimed territory.