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[#P3016] Asymptotic growth of the maximum guaranteed order of a regular induced subgraph

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A finite mathematical diagram showing an induced regular subgraph marked inside a graph.
An induced regular subgraph marked inside a finite graph.

Problem. Erdős Problem 82: For each positive integer \(n\), let \(F(n)\) denote the largest integer such that every finite simple graph on \(n\) vertices contains a regular induced subgraph with at least \(F(n)\) vertices. Here, a regular induced subgraph of a graph \(G\) is an induced subgraph that is \(k\)-regular for some non-negative integer \(k\), meaning every vertex in the subgraph has exactly \(k\) neighbors within the subgraph. Determine whether \(\displaystyle \frac{F(n)}{\log n} \to \infty\) as \(n \to \infty\).

1Context

This problem concerns the extremal function for regular induced subgraphs in graph theory, a topic initiated by Erdős. The function \(F(n)\) measures the worst-case guarantee for finding large regular induced subgraphs. The best known upper bound, due to Alon, Krivelevich, and Sudakov (2007), establishes that \(F(n) = O\bigl(n^{1/2} (\log n)^{3/4}\bigr)\). The question of whether \(F(n)\) grows faster than any constant multiple of \(\log n\) remains open.

2Problem setup

Definition 1 (A simple graph on a vertex set \(V\). A simple graph on a vertex set \(V\) is an undirected graph without loops or multiple edges.

Definition 2 (An induced subgraph of a graph \(G = (V, E)\) on a subset \(S \subseteq V\). An induced subgraph of a graph \(G = (V, E)\) on a subset \(S \subseteq V\) is the graph with vertex set \(S\) whose edges are exactly those edges of \(G\) with both endpoints in \(S\).

Definition 3 (A graph). A graph is \(k\)-regular if every vertex has degree exactly \(k\).

Definition 4 (For functions \(f, g : \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{R}_{>0}\), we write \(f(n) = O(g(n))\) if there exist constants \(C > 0\) and \(n_0 \in \mathbb{N}\) such that \(f(n) \leq C \cdot g(n)\) for all \(n \geq n_0\). For functions \(f, g : \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{R}_{>0}\), we write \(f(n) = O(g(n))\) if there exist constants \(C > 0\) and \(n_0 \in \mathbb{N}\) such that \(f(n) \leq C \cdot g(n)\) for all \(n \geq n_0\).

Remark 1. This problem concerns the extremal function for regular induced subgraphs in graph theory, a topic initiated by Erdős. The function \(F(n)\) measures the worst-case guarantee for finding large regular induced subgraphs. The best known upper bound, due to Alon, Krivelevich, and Sudakov (2007), establishes that \(F(n) = O\bigl(n^{1/2} (\log n)^{3/4}\bigr)\). The question of whether \(F(n)\) grows faster than any constant multiple of \(\log n\) remains open.

3What counts as a solution

  • Give a rigorous proof or counterexample that completely resolves this statement: Erdős Problem 82: For each positive integer \(n\), let \(F(n)\) denote the largest integer such that every finite simple graph on \(n\) vertices contains a regular induced subgraph with at least \(F(n)\) vertices. Here, a regular induced subgraph of a graph \(G\) is an induced subgraph that is \(k\)-regular for some non-negative integer \(k\), meaning every vertex in the subgraph has exactly \(k\) neighbors within the subgraph. Determine whether \(\displaystyle \frac{F(n)}{\log n} \to \infty\) as \(n \to \infty\).

1Status

Current status (Current status and unresolved remainder). OPEN as of 2026-07-31. The maintained Erdős Problems database at commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8 lists Problem 82 as open. The unresolved remainder is the full displayed statement. Give a rigorous proof or counterexample that completely resolves this statement: Erdős Problem 82: For each positive integer \(n\), let \(F(n)\) denote the largest integer such that every finite simple graph on \(n\) vertices contains a regular induced subgraph with at least \(F(n)\) vertices. Here, a regular induced subgraph of a graph \(G\) is an induced subgraph that is \(k\)-regular for some non-negative integer \(k\), meaning every vertex in the subgraph has exactly \(k\) neighbors within the subgraph. Determine whether \(\displaystyle \frac{F(n)}{\log n} \to \infty\) as \(n \to \infty\).[1]

1Packet records

2 records

Notes and companion materialContext, examples, and computations

Original intake status. OPEN as of 2026-07-31. The maintained Erdős Problems database at commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8 lists Problem 82 as open. The unresolved remainder is the full displayed statement.

  • The maintained database entry for Erdős Problem 82 was open at commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8.
  • The pinned Formal Conjectures declaration was matched by problem number and source locator.
  • The controlled TheoremDB source corpus was checked for an already published record with the same slug.
How the 2 records connectTyped relations and evidence flow
How the records connect to the problem

ProblemAsymptotic growth of the maximum guaranteed order of a regular induced subgraph

2See also

How to cite

TheoremDB contributors, “Asymptotic growth of the maximum guaranteed order of a regular induced subgraph,” TheoremDB research memory, snapshot of July 31, 2026. https://theoremdb.org/statements/erdos-problem-82

This problem includes 2 records joined by 1 typed links, sourced from erdosproblems.com[1], current as of July 31, 2026.

1References

  1. Packet source. Erdős Problems database, Problem 82, maintained status record. Erdős Problems record 82, checked 2026-08-01. Problem 82; status field and linked bibliography. reference database · reference source · commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8 · checked 2026-07-31Source use: original summary.Records the current open status and links the literature attached to this exact numbered problem.Also cited at Problem 82; status snapshot 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8.Also cited at See dataset.references[0] for the exact external source and locator.Also cited at Editorial research route recorded 2026-07-31.Source used to formulate or check the problem record.Source used to assess the problem's recorded status.For Asymptotic growth of the maximum guaranteed order of a regular induced subgraph: Records the current open status and links the literature attached to this exact numbered problem.Source named by the research packet.
  2. Erdős problem database, data/problems.yaml, commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8. Problem 82 entry in data/problems.yaml. reference database · reference source · commit 8138974387d9030542daabe67faaa33eff9356f8 · checked 2026-07-31Source use: original summary.Pins the maintained database snapshot used for this release's dated status decision.Source used to assess the problem's recorded status.For Asymptotic growth of the maximum guaranteed order of a regular induced subgraph: Pins the maintained database snapshot used for this release's dated status decision.
  3. Google DeepMind, Formal Conjectures, formal statement for Erdős Problem 82. GitHub commit bb1c69dab14ad895ac1ccdb7b0c0e0a67c8eb3e1. FormalConjectures/ErdosProblems/82.lean:L49; theorem erdos_82; commit bb1c69dab14ad895ac1ccdb7b0c0e0a67c8eb3e1. reference database · primary source · commit bb1c69dab14ad895ac1ccdb7b0c0e0a67c8eb3e1 · checked 2026-07-31Source use: original summary.Supplies the pinned formal declaration whose human-readable editorial statement is published here.Source used to assess the problem's recorded status.For Asymptotic growth of the maximum guaranteed order of a regular induced subgraph: Supplies the pinned formal declaration whose human-readable editorial statement is published here.

Original TheoremDB editorial prose based on a pinned formal declaration and the maintained status database.

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