Problem # 1
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Consider a matrix with 1s in squares next to the diagonal and 0s everywhere else,
aij = 1 iff |i - j| = 1, and aij = 0, otherwise. Prove that if n, the size of the matrix, is even, the complete match possible. The complete match is impossible if n is odd.
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Solution #1 (by W.McWorter)
For n even, the
matrix contains a diagonal of blocks of 2 by 2 permutation matrices.
The 1's in these matrices make a complete matching. For n odd, the
(n+1)/2 columns with odd indices together only contain 1's from the
(n-1)/2 rows with even indices. Hence the marriage condition is
violated because (n-1)/2<(n+1)/2. The n even case shows that a maximal
matching with only one girl going unmarried exists for n odd.
Solution #2 (by W.McWorter)
The problem can also be solved by row and column
changes. For n>0 even, interchange rows 2i-1 and 2i, for i=1,...,n/2.
The main diagonal is now all 1's. For n>1 odd, do the same thing.
Interchange rows 2i-1 and 2i, for i=1,...,(n-1)/2. You get the picture
1 0 1 0
0 1 0 . . .
. . .
. .
. . 0
1 0 1
0 . . 1 0 1 0
0 . . 0 1 0
None of the 1's below the main diagonal correspond to a 1 in the last
column, so no way for the algorithm to get a 1 to percolate (from under
the G submatrix) into the
lower right corner. Hence there is no complete matching.
Solution #3
We may apply induction. Depending on the parity of n induction starts
either with n = 1 or 2. For the inductive step, match girls {1,2} with
boys {1,2}. Remove the columns #1,2 and rows #1,2. What remains is a
matrix of exactly the same kind (bidiagonal) with the order reduced by
2.
Solution #4
Apply Konig's Theorem: The minimal number of lines that could be drawn
through all the 1s equals the maximal number of marriages that can be arranged.
For a 3x3 matrix one only needs 2 lines - through 2nd column and row. By
induction, as before, for a (2n+1)x(2n+1) matrix, it will take only 2n lines
to cover all 1s.
Copyright © 1996-2009 Alexander Bogomolny
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