Centered-set conjecture for k-chains in grid posets

Let [m]d[m]^d be the product poset, ordered coordinatewise: ab\mathbf{a}\leq\mathbf{b} when aibia_i\leq b_i for every i[d]i\in[d]. A kk-chain is a set of kk distinct points satisfying a1ak\mathbf{a}_1\leq\cdots\leq\mathbf{a}_k. For F[m]d\mathcal{F}\subseteq[m]^d, call F\mathcal{F} mm-centered if, whenever aF\mathbf{a}\in\mathcal{F} and bF\mathbf{b}\notin\mathcal{F},

i=1daidm2i=1dbidm2,\left\lvert\sum_{i=1}^d a_i-\frac{dm}{2}\right\rvert\leq\left\lvert\sum_{i=1}^d b_i-\frac{dm}{2}\right\rvert,

and equality implies i=1daii=1dbi\sum_{i=1}^d a_i\geq\sum_{i=1}^d b_i.

Centered-set conjecture. Given mm, there exists a number d0(m)d_0(m) such that if dd0(m)d\geq d_0(m), then the sets minimizing the number of kk-chains among subsets of [m]d[m]^d of any prescribed size are mm-centered.

This is a proposed extension of Kleitman's question from the Boolean lattice to grid posets. The source emphasizes that the conjecture is a natural guess with little supporting evidence and does not claim uniqueness of the minimizers.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Jozsef Balogh and Adam Zsolt Wagner, “Kleitman's conjecture about families of given size minimizing the number of k-chains”, arXiv:1609.02262 (2016).

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