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Claim. For some absolute constant c>0c>0 and all large nn, no graph on nn vertices has, in every induced subgraph on c(log⁡n)3/log⁡log⁡nc(\log n)^3/\log\log n vertices, both a clique and an independent set of size at least log⁡n\log n. The paper uses natural logarithms. This is the Ramsey-type consequence stated in Section 1 of N. Alon and B. Sudakov, On graphs with subgraphs having large independence numbers, J. Graph Theory 56 (2007), no. 2, 149--157, first posted as arXiv:0706.4099 on 2007-06-27. Section 4 derives it from the paper's Claim: if n/2>s>tn/2>s>t and (t−1)f(n/2,s,t)≥s(t-1)f(n/2,s,t)\ge s, then no nn-vertex graph has a clique and an independent set of size tt in every induced subgraph on ss vertices. The reason is that t−1t-1 disjoint independent sets of size f(n/2,s,t)f(n/2,s,t) span an induced (t−1)(t-1)-colorable subgraph on at least ss vertices. Theorem 2.2 supplies the hypothesis at t=log⁡nt=\log n and s=clog⁡3n/log⁡log⁡ns=c\log^3n/\log\log n. An induced subgraph on more vertices contains one on g(n)g(n) vertices, so a graph with the property for gg has it for every larger gg. The answer is therefore no for every admissible g(n)≤c(log⁡n)3/log⁡log⁡ng(n)\le c(\log n)^3/\log\log n.

Covers. The instances (log⁡n)2≤g(n)≤c(log⁡n)3/log⁡log⁡n(\log n)^2\le g(n)\le c(\log n)^3/\log\log n of Problem 805, answered no. Not covered: every larger gg, in particular g(n)=(log⁡n)3g(n)=(\log n)^3, which the paper says its results do not settle.

Depends on. Nothing in this wiki; the argument is the paper's own.

Acceptance. refereed: J. Graph Theory 56 (2007), no. 2, 149--157, published online 9 August 2007. The site's curator, T. F. Bloom, credits the result in the problem's commentary. The site labels the problem OPEN, so that commentary is not acceptance, and no reviewed is listed. Source card: Alon and Sudakov.